The Bond Between Mother and Daughter
by Starwarshobbitfics
Summary: After Mina gets fired from her part-time job, Ahsoka comes up with a great idea to bring her daughter's happy mood back. She offers Mina to take her on a road trip of her choice. Their travels will be all but boring. Many interesting events will occur and the bond between Mother and Daughter will only strengthen further. T rating for mild language and adult themes.
1. Mina gets Fired

**Friday, May 9** **th** **, 2008**

The clock hit 6 am sharp. Ahsoka, now 45, slowly sipped her coffee while looking at the time. " _She starts at 7:30 am and she isn't up yet ? Guess I better "give her a hand"."_ As she walked over to the staircase, Aayla, their cat, was sleeping.

She held the cat in her arms. "Hey, kitty ! Say we go and wake up your "big sister", huh ?" She quietly stepped to the upper floor. Barely opening Mina's bedroom door, she could see that her daughter was completely covered in blankets, Garfield-style. She quietly tiptoed to the entrance. "Ok, kitty, we're gonna wake Mina in 3… 2… 1 !" She tossed Aayla onto the covers, causing Mina to wake with a start.

"Arrrrrgh ! MOM ! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that ?! I can wake on my own ! I'm not a kid anymore ! I'm 22, for Force's sake !" She grumbled.

Ahsoka pointed to her clock on the dresser and her work schedule on her personal billboard. "It's past 6 am now, Mina. You begin today's work shift at… 7:30 ! Factor in the time to shower, get dressed, have breakfast and drive through the morning traffic… You might JUST make it in time !"

Mina groaned as she gathered her clothes for the day and made a beeline to the bathroom. "Of ALL the places I could have a part-time job to do something productive between the university courses, it HAD to be Walmart…"

Ahsoka shook her head. "It could be a lot worse, Mina… There are thousands of people out there with no education or employment. You ought to consider yourself lucky."

Mina retorted through the door as the shower started to run. "Yeah, there's worse ! But having a clueless boss makes it all the less enticing to get up and go to work, you know ?"

As Ahsoka went through her second cup of coffee, Mina walked down the stairs. "Geez ! It's already 6:30 ! Guess I'll make due with a toast and fruits this morning !"

She proceeded to make her toast and go through her serving of fruits in record time. She ran back upstairs to brush her teeth. As Mina searched for her car keys, Ahsoka was already on her way towards Burt's garage.

Going quickly through the heavy traffic, Mina parked to the employee parking. She quickly made her way in, using her employee keys. As she arrived to her designated sales area, the Cosmetics department, her boss, Tom Jamieson, stopped her in her tracks. "Bonteri, you're cutting it too close ! We're opening in 5 minutes and that new display for the latest brand hasn't been done ! Don't just stand there, do something ! Chop, chop, chop !"

Mina suddenly noticed that there was a bunch of unopened boxes with the latest perfumes and nail polish products. "Wasn't Lydia on duty last night ? Why didn't _she_ prepare the display _knowing_ full well the promotion was starting this morning ?! Why must it always be up to me to get everything done ?! Gah !"

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "You're the senior employee of the department… you're supposed to be training these new kids. Have you been slacking off or what ?"

Mina felt quite insulted. "With all due respect, Mr. Jamieson, I also have university courses to attend in between all of this ! I've spent as much time… and patience with the new trainees as I could, sir !

If they can't "pick up the ball and get it rolling", the responsibility and overall performance of the department shouldn't fall entirely on me. I understand that they're high school students and not as interested in the job as an adult would be, but they need to learn responsibility. Isn't that the whole point of hiring high-school and university students on a part-time basis ?"

Mr. Jamieson couldn't argue her on that. "You've got a point. Lydia is scheduled to work later tonight at 5. Until then, try to get a semblance of a display up, please ?"

"I'll do my best, sir." She began to open the boxes. "L'Oréal beauty products ? Seriously ? They expect me to push those over the superior Avon brand ? Better set up a display before I catch flak from the boss." She placed the various products all around her work and sales area, carefully facing every item to make the display look appealing and eye-catching.

Throughout the day, Mina did her best to attempt to sell the new products, but her conscience told her to sell the superior product instead. A minute to 5 pm, the trainee named Lydia finally ran over to the sales area.

"Sorry that I came at the last moment. My boyfriend and I had an argument…" Lydia immediately started her cellphone and began texting her friends.

Mina raised an eye marking. "What are you doing ?"

Lydia felt a bit flustered all of a sudden, Mina's current tone told her she was in trouble. "Oh, just checking out on what's going on with everyone while we wait for customers to show up."

Mina cleared her throat. "And you can't do that… during your designated breaks or at home ? Tell me, Lydia. You worked last night… was it busy ?"

"Hardly. It was so slow, I could've fallen asleep…" The trainee answered.

Mina grabbed her by the shoulders a bit forcefully, and brought her over to the now empty boxes. "You see those boxes ? We received those TWO DAYS ago ! According to the sales plan of the week, you knew that we were setting up a decent L'Oréal display as the promotion of "Buy 2, save 20%" was starting today. Since last night wasn't busy… why didn't you unpack the boxes and prepare the display in advance ?"

Lydia simply shut off her phone and shrugged her shoulders. "I… didn't feel like it…"

Mina let out a shocked gasp. "You… _didn't feel like it_?! Lydia… That… That's… unacceptable ! Completely unacceptable ! I'll be having a word with Mr. Jamieson next week. You better do your part over the weekend… or there will be trouble !"

"You're not my mom ! You can't tell me what to do !" Lydia shot back.

Mina crossed her arms, propping herself against the desk. "You're right. I'm not your mother. I'm your immediate superior, young lady. And if you can't learn to follow orders and get a work routine going, we're going to have to replace you ! How old are you again ?"

"I'm only 16, Mina. Give it a rest !"

"When I was your age, Lydia, I had a part-time job at a local pet shop. I maintained the animals and enclosures and that gave the owner a chance to focus on selling her animals. It was a lot of work, but I put in the extra effort because _I_ cared about her success. This department wouldn't be standing if I didn't give so much sweat and blood into it ! And on top of that, I'm also majoring in Accounting at the university. My advice to you : You better start taking your work seriously. If you don't, you'll never be able to hold down a job. Regardless of whether you're 16 or over 50. Change your attitude."

Lydia gulped. "O… okay. Can I help with anything ?"

Mina handed her a pricing gun. "You can begin by checking the prices for all the new products. Make sure the prices and products correspond. If you find any anomalies, I want to know about it, ok ?"

Lydia nodded and went to work. Mina began to think her pep talk probably did the girl some good.

 **Friday, May 16** **th**

A week had passed since Lydia changed her attitude for the better. Over the morning, Mr. Jamieson was going over current sales. "What the… ? L'Oréal sales not moving and Avon sales steadily going up ?! The heck is going on in that department ?"

As Mina had finished a sale with an elderly woman, she caught the sight of her boss storming towards her. " _Oh, great ! Here he comes… Probably gonna whine about the low L'Oréal sales…_ "

"Close up shop for a bit, Bonteri. I want to have a word with you in the office, like pronto !"

Mina's lekku paled for a moment. " _Yep, I'm in for an earful now ! So much for trying to push the superior brand…_ "

As she entered Mr. Jamieson's office, she took a chair and took a deep breath. "What's the problem ?"

"Close the door, will ya ?" Once the door was closed, Mr. Jamieson began his rant. "I've been looking over the sales numbers during the week. In the cosmetics department, where you're in charge of, have a decent promotion with L'Oréal products. However, very few sales have been done and Avon products keep going out the door. Can you… explain what's happening ?"

Mina took a deep breath. "Sir… with all due respect, I cannot push L'Oréal products in good conscience _knowing_ Avon is a far superior brand…"

Mr. Jamieson face-palmed at the revelation. "I don't believe I'm hearing this… especially coming from you ! Listen, _Sweetie_ , I don't give a rat's ass about what product is superior ! These companies are paying big money to have those displays… The least you could do is sell them… no matter if they're not the best… The regular client doesn't know or cares… If we don't make sales, we don't make money. If we don't make money… we don't… you know…"

Mina was utterly disgusted. "I'm afraid we have a problem here, Mr. Jamieson… I can't do it…"

He tapped his fingers on his desks, his anger rising. "Correction… We _had_ a problem… You're fired ! Now, get outta here !"

Mina quickly rose up, a shocked expression on her face. "You're firing me for that ?! Really ? Wow… that's low… Good luck finding someone as knowledgeable as I was, sir. You'll need it !" She stormed out of his office and made her way towards the employee lockers, gathering all her personal items.

As Mina was about to step out, a familiar face stepped in front of her. "Aren't you heading out a bit early ? It's only 11:05 am…" It was Bob McClane, the boy who had once tried to take advantage of her. Since he changed his ways, he took a course in administration and quickly rose up the ranks to become Assistant Manager.

"Sorry, Bob. I'm afraid I've been "canned"."

He couldn't believe it. "What ? Sometimes I don't understand what's going on in Jamieson's head. Well… look on the "bright side", you'll no longer have to suffer through him. Take care of yourself. And say "Hi" to Travis for me !"

Mina let out a light smile. "He's only a couple of years away from retirement, Bob. I trust you'll do a much better job managing everyone here. No doubt you'll be fairer with everyone too ! Travis is gone with his folks for a couple of weeks, but I'll relay his greetings from you once I see him. You take care of yourself as well, huh ?"

As Mina returned home, Daniel was enjoying a day off from college. He was just lounging lazily while reading a novel. "Oh hey, sis. Gee, you're here early. Aren't you supposed to only get back at 6 ?"

Mina gave a sad look to her brother. "Normally, yeah, I'd end at 6. Alas, I got fired."

Daniel's eyes almost leapt out of their sockets. "You got canned ?! Wow ! That sucks !"

Mina plopped on the sofa, letting out a sigh. "Perhaps it was for the best, Dan. I wasn't intending on working there my whole life anyways. I was just there to kill time and make a bit of money on the side…"

"So, what are you gonna do now ?"

Mina went over to the family's extensive CD collection. "Right now… I need to unwind and release my frustrations. This CD here has a song that always lifts me up." She held the album "Don't Break the Oath" by Mercyful Fate. Inserting the disc into the stereo, she skipped to the 7th track, titled "Welcome Princess of Hell". She turned to her brother. "Do you mind if I blast this ?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "I never understood what you and Mom see in this guy. His voice is so… squeaky and off-key. But yeah, blast away."

"It's not off-key nor squeaky, Dan. It's… unique. Especially in the heavy metal scene. You might want to cover your montrals, brother. Those guitars at the beginning are LOUD."

Daniel just rolled his eyes. "Just get on with it, geez !"

I turn off the lights, we like darkness

Now you call my name, you finally came

Even in the night I see the light shining bright

I'm alone with my friends

Now I see you clear, we raise our glasses

Welcome to my house Princess of Hell

Even in the night I see the light shining bright

I'm alone with my friends

I will bring in here my crystal ball

I will gaze, you will know what is to come

I'm amazed of what I've seen tonight

I won't tell a living soul they would not believe

Welcome Princess of Hell

Never will I break the oath I gave

I hail you again in Satan's name

Princess of Hell

Even in the night I see the light shining bright

I'm alone with my friends

We will be back, we will be back

Once the song finished playing, Mina felt much better. "Yep, that song always picks me up when I'm feeling down."

"Happy for you, sis. Can I read my book in _peace and quiet_ now ?" Daniel managed to find the part he was at before Mina interrupted him.

At 3:30 pm, Ahsoka arrived from work. She saw her children just lounging lazily in the living room. "Hey Dan, hey Mina." Suddenly, she realized something was out of place. "Mina ? What are you doing here ? I thought you were working until 6."

Mina sighed loudly. "I got fired, Mom."

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "What ? How did that happen ? You're probably the best cosmetics salesperson Walmart ever hired. I… I don't get it…"

"It's kind of my fault, Mom. We were forced to push sales for an inferior line of products. I couldn't bring myself to "betray" my faithful clients. Once Mr. Jamieson confronted me on the issue, he fired me on the spot. As I said with Dan earlier, perhaps it's for the best that I no longer work there, Mom."

Ahsoka sat to her. "I can see where you're coming from, Mina. I understand your reasoning."

"You do ?"

"Of course. Sometimes, manufacturers ask us to stock a particular piece for automobiles. If it doesn't get Burt's approval, guess what happens ? We don't sell it to our clients, simple as that."

Mina let out a nervous laugh. "That's the difference, Mom. Burt's garage is privately owned, so he can control his entry of inventory. Walmart is a major corporation that has stores nearly everywhere, so they are sent all sorts of products, whether the staff wants to sell them or not."

She hugged her daughter. "Well… they are announcing good weather for the weekend and next week. How about you and I… go on a road trip ? Could that help you to change your string of thoughts ?"

Mina welled up with excitement. "Really, Mom ? Just the two of us ? Sure, I'm up for that ! Where could we go ?"

"Take the time to think about it and pick a destination, ok ?" Ahsoka rose up and walked over to the fridge, reaching for a bottle of Coke.

Mina quickly joined her mother and helped herself with a bottle of her own. "Well, since Travis is out of town for a couple of weeks, there's nothing preventing the two of us from spending a bit of time together. How about we go south ?"

Ahsoka reached into the cupboard for a pair of plastic straws. "Any place in mind ?"

"Well… I've always wanted to visit the State of Louisiana." Mina decided.

Ahsoka's curiosity had to be sated. "Why Louisiana ?"

"Well… I've always wanted to try out authentic Cajun cuisine, visit an alligator farm… and practice my French since they do speak the language, quite surprisingly."

"Those all sound like good reasons, Mina. Very well. We'll do just that. How about we head out tomorrow morning ?" Ahsoka's experience with French had been not-so-good when she and Kayla had visited the Province of Québec in Canada, in '97. Perhaps Mina could give her some pointers concerning pronunciation on many words.

"I'll get everything ready, Mom ! Thanks again !" The coming week would soon become one of Mina's greatest memories as a young adult.

 **Woah ! I'm not even done yet with the Game of Thrones story and I've got another Modern story started. Don't you people love this new exploration of the modern cast ? It's going to be tricky doing two stories at the same time, but neither are going to be as long as their predecessors. I would expect by late spring or early summer to begin working on the Original Trilogy AU with Mina as the additional crew member of the Millennium Falcon. Anyways, over the next chapter, Ahsoka and Mina will be traveling down various highways towards Louisiana. There will be some humorous events taking place, such as Ahsoka being stopped by a highway patrolman for speeding and poor Mina getting hit on by various men at a bar. Feel free to leave a review.**


	2. A Speeding Ticket and Basic Motel

**Saturday, May 17th**

The morning following Mina's firing from Walmart was a more pleasant one. She had woken up at 7, made her own breakfast of eggs and bacon and was finalizing the packing of her luggage.

" _Odds are we'll be out for a week at best ! This is EXACTLY what I need to forget about yesterday's drama._ "

Ahsoka, on her end, was also finishing up getting her luggage ready. " _We'll stay at moderate to low-cost hotels and motels during our travels. There will be likely plenty of restaurants to choose from, other than the typical fast-food joints._ "

Mina was the first to lug her stuff downstairs. As she turned around, she saw her mother struggling slightly. "Mom ? Do you need a hand ?"

"I wouldn't refuse the offer, sweetie. One false step and I'll be tumbling down !"

Mina raced to her. "What are you thinking ?!" She took one of Ahsoka's luggage. "You know it's dangerous to carry so much weight ! Especially going down some stairs, you could fall and break something !"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the remark. "Oh, please ! I'm not some decrepit old woman… yet. You underestimate my strength, Mina."

"Regardless, the least we need now is to have our trip cancelled because we'd need to rush you to the hospital over a stupid accident." Mina helped Ahsoka carry the larger piece.

Once they placed all their luggage in Ahsoka's car, they were ready to head out. Lux went out to meet with them. "I was so tired last night that I must have missed the part about Burt giving you and Will a vacation. How long do you plan to be gone ?"

Ahsoka wrapped her arms around Lux, hugging and kissing him. "I would say a week to a week and a half, Lux. It was real nice of Burt to close his business for a couple of weeks. Will and I really needed a break from all the fixing and remodeling. You and Dan should be able to take care of yourselves while we're gone."

Daniel came out to meet his mother and sister. "Yeah, I think Dad and I can look after the house well enough. Is there anything I shouldn't be forgetting ?"

Mina had a playful smirk on her lips. "Don't forget to clean Aayla's litter, ok ? You'll notice that it piles up pretty quickly."

Daniel gazed at his sister, an eye marking raised. "Seriously ? You think I couldn't handle the cat litter ? Sis, just go and don't worry about it. It'll be cleaned almost every day."

Mina sat at the front passenger seat, waiting for her mother to climb in. Ahsoka waved to the boys. "Be good now ! We'll call later tonight when we've stopped a random motel."

Going out of the driveway and into the street, they made their way to the nearest gas station. After having fueled up, they slowly drove through the intense traffic until they reached the city limits. Once on the highway, Ahsoka opened the radio. "How about a bit of music while we drive, Mina ?"

Mina immediately beamed at the suggestion. "Sure thing, Mom ! Are we tuning in to NYC-98.9 ?"

Ahsoka snorted a laugh. "You'd expect otherwise ? Let's see what Tim and Ed have for us this morning, shall we ?"

As they set the radio frequency, they recognized the ending of the song "Rock n' Roll Children" from the Sacred Heart album by the band Dio.

"Whew ! Classic Dio never gets old ! I remember being floored by it when it was released back in '85. What did you think about it, Ed ?"

"I don't mind it too much, Tim. In my personal opinion, I found it to be too pop-oriented. I don't mean it as a bad thing, it's just a bit of a change from Holy Diver and The Last in Line that preceded it."

"To each their own, Ed. I think we've got everything in place for our feature this morning ?"

"Indeed, we do, Tim. Folks, we've decided to do a little segment dedicated to Black Sabbath's discography ranging from their humble beginnings with Ozzy and moving on to the Dio era…"

Tim cleared his throat. "Are we covering the Gillian and Martin eras too ?"

"Gillian is where I draw the line, Tim. After the Born Again album was released, both Bill Ward and Geezer Butler left Iommi on his own. Most of the "Magic" was gone by then. I struggled through the Tony Martin albums… they're not exactly bad… but it's those albums that make me miss Ozzy, Dio… and yes, even Gillian, as vocalists."

"Ok, Ed. Are we going in chronological order ?"

"Chronological order is the only way to go, Tim. That way, our listeners can experience the highs… and lows of the band as they progressed through the early '70s to the mid '80s. And we're not going to pick the most popular songs from each albums. We'll let a few of the lesser known songs have their airtime."

"Allrighty then ! So, the first album called Black Sabbath, which track would you choose, Ed ?"

"I always liked "The Wizard". I don't know… Maybe it's the harmonica in there that sounds out of place yet fits like a glove. Or maybe it's the medieval-themed lyrics about a wizard casting spells."

"We've chatted enough, Ed ! Let's get on with the show !"

Misty morning, clouds in the sky  
Without warning, the wizard walks by  
Casting his shadow, weaving his spell  
Funny clothes, tinkling bell

Never talking  
Just keeps walking  
spreading his magic

Evil power disappears  
Demons worry when the wizard is near  
He turns tears into joy  
Everyone's happy when the wizard walks by

Never talking  
Just keeps walking  
spreading his magic

Sun is shining, clouds have gone by  
All the people give a happy sigh  
He has passed by, giving his sign  
Left all the people feeling so fine

Never talking  
Just keeps walking  
spreading his magic

As the song ended, Mina couldn't help but smiling happily. "He was right ! That harmonica really fits in there, yet it shouldn't !"

"They were originally supposed to be a heavy blues band, Mina. So the harmonica wasn't so much out of place. The "heavy metal" sound was created by Iommi as a result of him losing a couple of his fingertips in his right hand. It happened during an accident at a factory he was working at. To make it easier for himself when playing, he tuned down the guitar strings to several pitches lower than normal, creating what we now know as the "heavy metal" sound." Ahsoka explained.

Mina's mind was blown. "Woah ! And with that simple move, he created the beginning of an entire genre of music ! Incredible ! I guess we owe him our thanks ! Music would never be this engaging if he hadn't done that."

"Whew ! Moving on to their second album, Paranoid, which track should we go with, Tim ?"

"Everybody knows "War Pigs", "Paranoid", "Iron Man" and "Fairies Wear Boots". One that is rarely mentioned is "Electric Funeral". It's a dark, dark song, yet so enjoyable. Are you with me, Ed ?"

"Heck yeah, let's listen to how good nuclear fallout sounds !"

Reflex in the sky warn you you're gonna die  
Storm coming, you'd better hide from the atomic tide  
Flashes in the sky turns houses into sties  
Turns people into clay, radiation minds decay

Robot minds of robot slaves lead them to atomic rage  
plastic flowers, melting sun, fading moon falls upon  
dying world of radiation, victims of mad frustration  
Burning globe of oxy'n fire, like electric funeral pyre

Buildings crashing down to a cracking ground  
Rivers turn to wood, ice melting to flood  
Earth lies in death bed, clouds cry water dead  
Tearing life away, here's the burning pay

Electric Funeral  
Electric Funeral  
Electric Funeral  
Electric Funeral

And so in the sky shines the electric eye  
supernatural king takes earth under his wing  
Heaven's golden chorus sings, Hell's angels flap their wings  
Evil souls fall to Hell, ever trapped in burning cells!

"You know, I never paid much attention to this song when I was younger, Mom. It must have been crazy when it was first released."

"It must have been a radical change from anything people had heard before, Mina."

"Yep, we've got it going good so far, Ed. Well… we're at Masters of Reality. So many great songs. Which do we choose ?"

"Come on, Tim ! Don't make it hard on yourself ! You need to take it easy, man ! Maybe a toke will help out, huh ?"

Tim is audibly heard face-palming. "If no one gets that hint, they're hopeless. The most recognizable pot anthem, everybody ! "Sweet Leaf" ! Yeah !"

ALRIGHT NOW!  
Won't you listen?

When I first met you, didn't realize  
I can't forget you, for your surprise  
you introduced me, to my mind  
And left me wanting, you and your kind

I love you, Oh you know it

My life was empty, forever on a down  
Until you took me, showed me around  
My life is free now, my life is clear  
I love you sweet leaf, though you can't hear

Come on now, try it out

Straight people don't know, what you're about  
They put you down and shut you out  
you gave to me a new belief  
and soon the world will love you sweet leaf

Mina's lekku paled a moment. "Would now be a good moment to tell you that I did smoke pot at one point ?"

Ahsoka scratched her montrals wildly. "My montrals must be off. I could've sworn I've heard you say you smoked pot !"

"I did !"

Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock. "You WHAT ?! H-how ?! W-why ?!"

"Relax, Mom. It was only once. It was part of a university group project." Mina calmly answered.

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "What KIND of university group project requires you to smoke weed ?!"

"We… we had chosen to make a presentation on the Hippie movement of the late '60s and early '70s. We wanted to know what were the… side-effects of smoking pot. Which was readily done at the time. It was in our History class that we all happened to be together, despite that were all following different majors."

"Who's "we" ?"

"Myself, Travis, Lisa, Mark… and Bob." Mina counted on her fingers.

Ahsoka almost lost control of her driving. "Bob… ? As in Bob McClane, that guy that tried to make a pass at you ? Had he changed that much ?"

"The same, Mom. Not to worry, your Jedi Mind Trick you did with him stuck. He was more focused on his studies and we never saw him hitting on any women. Anyways, we quickly found that it allowed us to relax a good deal, made us laugh more readily for the silliest reasons. And then came… the inevitable munchies. We ended up ordering 5 12" pizzas. Believe it or not, we ate them all during the evening !"

Ahsoka shook her head. "Promise me you'll never do that again, please ?"

Mina chuckled in reply. "Don't worry, I don't think my bank account could take that expensive eating disorder. Anyways, when we made our presentation in front of our peers, everybody was amazed at the amount of detail we put into our report. We basically walked out with A+++ !"

"You feeling better now, Man ? You feelin' good, huh ?"

"Seriously, Ed ! You can lay off the Cheech and Chong quotes. Moving on to Vol. 4. Lots of heavy hitters on that one. Which to choose ? Which to choose ?"

Tim could be heard taking a deep breath. "Suuuuuuuuupppppeeeerrrr…. nnnnaaaaauuuuttttt !"

""Supernaut", huh ? About Iommi's heaviest riffs at this point in his career. To the folks on a road trip, feel free to lower your windows and crank up that sucker ! You're welcome !"

I want to reach out and touch the sky  
I want to touch the sun  
But I don't need to fly  
I'm gonna climb up every mountain of the moon  
And find the dish that ran away with the spoon

I've crossed the ocean, turned every bend  
I found the crossing near a golden rainbow's end  
I've been through magic and through life's reality  
I've lived a thousand years and it never bothered me

Got no religion, don't need no friends  
Got all I want and I don't need to pretend  
Don't try to reach me, 'cause I'd tear up your mind  
I've seen the future and I've left it behind

Both women massaged their montrals following the song. Neither expected the guitar to be so loud.

"Those riffs, Ed ! Those beautiful, wonderful riffs ! So, the 5th album is Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Here, they changed their sound a bit. Sounded a bit more… dare I say it ? Orchestral ! Yes, folks ! I choose "A National Acrobat" as the song to represent this album."

I am the world that hides  
The universal secret of all time  
Destruction of the empty spaces  
Is my one and only crime  
I've lived a thousand times  
I found out what it means to be believed  
The thoughts and images  
The unborn child that never was conceived

When little worlds collide  
I'm trapped inside my embryonic cell  
And flashing memories  
Are cast into the never ending well  
The name that scorns the face  
The child that never sees the cause of man  
The deathly darkness that  
Belies the fate of those who never ran

Well I know its hard for you  
To know the reason why  
And I know you'll understand  
More when it's time to die  
Don't believe the life you have  
Will be the only one  
You have to let your body sleep  
To let your soul live on

Love has given life to you  
And now it's your concern  
Unseen eyes of inner life  
Will make your soul return  
Still I look but not to touch  
The seeds of life are sown  
Curtain of the future falls  
The secret stays unknown

Just remember love is life  
And hate is living death  
Treat your life for what it's worth  
And live for every breath  
Looking back I've lived and learned  
But now I'm wondering  
Here I wait and only guess  
What this next life will bring

Mina blinked, trying to decipher the meaning of the lyrics. "Hold on ! A song about a sperm cell's "mission" to conceive the egg ? Really ?! That was gutsy, even for them !"

"The Miracle of Life, Mina. Guess it worked, because you're here !" Ahsoka winked.

"I'd say they became more… harmonious in their sound here, Ed."

"Definitely an improvement from their "sludge rock" on Master of Reality and Vol. 4. So, we're moving on to Sabotage. Tim, if you don't mind, I think I'll make it easy on both of us and go with… "Symptoms of the Universe" !"

Take me through the centuries to supersonic years  
Electrifying enemy is drowning in his tears  
All I have to give you is a love that never dies  
The symptom of the universe is written in your eyes

Yeah

Mother Goose is calling me back to her silver womb  
Father of creation takes me from my stolen tomb  
Seventh night the unicorn is waiting in the skies  
A symptom of the universe, a love that never dies

Yeah

Take my hand, my child of love come step inside my tears  
Swim the magic ocean I've been crying all these years  
When our love will ride away into eternal skies  
A symptom of the universe, a love that never dies

Yeah

Oh my child of love's creation, come and step inside my dreams  
In your eyes I see no sadness, you are all that loving means  
Take my hand and we'll go riding through the sunshine from above  
We'll find happiness together in the summer skies of love

Mina's montrals began to hurt slightly. "And I thought "Supernaut" couldn't be surpassed in terms of heavy riffs. Shows what I know !"

"I remember hearing people say this was the last "good" Sabbath album with Ozzy. I've never heard anything from the last two albums with him, but I doubt it could be all that bad." Ahsoka's montrals were also starting to feel a bit sore.

"Well, we're embarking upon the two critically panned albums, Ed. We both know by this time, that there was some major internal turmoil between the band members. Ozzy doing way too much drugs and drinking too much being one big reason why they began to lose their creative juices. The first of these two is Technical Ecstasy. I'll be honest, the majority of those songs don't sound like Black Sabbath at all. But they had one really good song."

"Yeah, Tim. I know it's a shock for most of the fans. The song in question is controversial lyrically. Do I really need to say what it's about when the title is "Dirty Women" ? Didn't think so. Let's hit it !"

The neon lights are shining on me again  
I walk the lonely streets in search of a friend  
I need a lady to help me to get through the night, through the night  
If I could find one then everything would be alright

The sleepy city is dreaming the night time away  
Out on the street I watch tomorrow becoming today  
I see a man, he's got take away women for sale, yes for sale  
Guess that's the answer, 'cause take away women don't fail

Oh dirty women, they don't mess around  
Oh dirty women, they don't mess around  
You've got me coming, You've got me going around  
Oh dirty women, they don't mess around

Walking the streets I wonder will it ever happen  
Gotta be good 'cause then everything will be OK  
If I could score tonight then I will end up happy

A woman for sale is gonna help me save my day...

Mina shook her head. "A song about prostitutes ? Really ? At least the riffs are good and the song sounds quite fun !"

"And if the hosts just said that was the only real good song on the album, I'm not going to bother getting it… unless someone practically gives it to me."

"And now… the last of the Ozzy albums. Never Say Die ! was really the last stretch of the band's mutual participation. There are some songs here that Ozzy didn't even sing on ! Iommi hired an additional singer by the name of Dave Walker, whom had sung before with Fleetwood Mac. Heck, there's one song, "Swinging the Chain", that drummer Bill Ward went ahead to sing as Ozzy refused to sing it, because he hadn't written the song himself ! So, let's see how Ward did, for a change, shall we ?"

It's against my uniform  
To be a civil judge  
All the songs are history now  
`Bout rock stars and their grudge  
Let us cast our minds back  
To thirty years or more  
You took up all the vandals  
Will Hitler beat `em all?

And we're sad and sorry  
Really sorry that it happened that way  
Yes we're sad and sorry  
But why'd you have to treat us that way?

Compare ourselves with others  
And cover them in sin  
Oh, God what a terrible  
A terrible state we're in  
There must be some way out of here  
A compromise that's right  
If we cannot work it out  
We're gonna have to fight

Yes we're sad and sorry  
Really sorry that it happened that way  
Yes we're sad and sorry  
We cannot go on in those days

I'm talking about my brothers  
Yeah, I'm talking `bout sisters as well  
I wish you good luck  
Good luck!

Oh, but the world's still on fire  
Chain the hope you take on, liar  
This fire  
We're on fire, we're on fire, yeah...

"I'm not sure what to think, Mom. It wasn't bad… But you could tell it wasn't Ozzy."

"You're right, Mina. I'd be generous and say he made a fairly decent effort. He did write the majority of the lyrics for the band, so I'm surprised he never tried to become the singer of the group. But those screams halfway hurt my montrals. Ow !"

"Phew ! That was different, but not really what I hoped for an Ozzy replacement, Ed ! Thankfully, Ronnie James Dio saved Black Sabbath when he worked with Iommi, Ward and Butler and put out Heaven and Hell, a masterpiece of an album ! So… once again… which do we choose ?"

"Well Tim, everyone knows "Heaven & Hell", "Neon Knights" and "Children of The Sea"… One song I hardly heard getting airtime was "Lady Evil"."

"Oh ho ho ! "Lady Evil" ! Probably the most "metal" song about witches… until Mercyful Fate came along with "Witches' Dance". Anyways, this song demonstrates Dio's vocal ability wonderfully. Here we go !"

There's a place just south of Witches' Valley  
Where they say the wind won't blow  
And they only speak in whispers of her name  
There's a lady they say who feeds the darkness  
It eats right from her hand  
With a crying shout she'll search you out  
And freeze you where you stand

Lady Evil, evil  
She's a magical, mystical woman  
Lady Evil, evil in my mind  
She's queen of the night  
All right!

In a place just south of Witches' Valley  
Where they say the rain won't fall  
Thunder cracks the sky, it makes you bleed, yeah  
There's a lady they say who needs the darkness  
She can't face the light  
With an awful shout, she'll find you out  
And have you for the night

Lady Evil, evil  
She's a magical, mystical woman  
Lady Evil, evil on my mind  
She's queen of the night

So if you ever get to Witches' Valley  
Don't dream or close your eyes  
And never trust your shadow in the dark  
'Cause there's a lady I know who takes your vision  
And turns it all around  
The things you see are what to be, lost and never found

Lady Evil, evil  
She's a magical, mystical woman  
Lady Evil, evil on my mind  
She's queen of the night

She's the queen of sin  
Look out, she'll pull you in!  
Lady wonder!

Mina smiled as she noticed her mother's lekku stripes darkening throughout the song. "You like his voice, don't you, Mom ?"

A tear slid down Ahsoka's cheek. "Yep. So hauntingly beautiful. No one else sings like him, Mina. No one."

"You know what's a crying shame, Ed ?"

"What Tim ? Come on, buddy ! Enlighten me !"

"They only recorded two albums with Dio before the band fell apart… again."

"You hear people praising Heaven and Hell left and right. Its follower, Mob Rules… not so much. I'm not sure why it got overshadowed. I thought it was great !"

"I think the opening track, "Turn Up the Night" showed that they still had it. So why don't we go with that ?"

"Sure thing, Tim. Ok folks, feel free to crank up the volume and rock out !"

A rumble of thunder, I'm suddenly under your spell  
No rhyme or reason, or time of the season, but oh well  
The darkened deliver, I shake and I shiver down your soul  
You know what to cover, I think for another it's a story told  
So get a good hold, yeah

Regiment fooled you, you thought that you knew who you are  
A simple equation, that's the relation, but that's gone too far  
A time of suspicion, a special condition that we all know  
So let it all go!

Turn up the night!  
Turn up the night!  
Turn up the night, it feels so right!

Nighttime sorrow, taken like a pain  
Black will not become a white, it's all the same  
Evil lurks in twilight, dances in the dark  
Makes you need the movement, like a fire needs a spark to burn!

A rumble of thunder, I'm suddenly under your spell  
No rhyme or reason, or time of the season, but oh well  
The darkened deliver, I shake and I shiver down your soul  
So get a good hold, yeah

Turn up the night!  
Turn up the night!  
Turn up the night, it feels so right!  
Turn up the night!  
Turn up the night!  
If it feels right  
Turn off the light!  
Turn up the night!

Ahsoka shook her head in shock. "Th-this is amazing ! Why don't I have this album in my collection ?! What the Force is wrong with me ?" She glanced at her daughter. "Mina, keep an eye out should we happen to stop by in a music shop, ok ?"

Mina gladly accepted the challenge. "Consider it done, Mom. Maybe we'll find other albums just as good too. You never know."

"Man, what a rush ! We hope you folks have enjoyed this segment so far ! One last album that we'll look into. The critically maligned Born Again, featuring Ian Gillian, whom had sung in Deep Purple during the early '70s. Why do people hate on it so much is a riddle I'll never figure out, Ed. So… what song do we take to complete our Black Sabbath segment ?"

Ed took a moment to ponder. "Hmm. They're all quite good… But my personal favorite is the opener, "Trashed". For one, I LOVED the music video featuring the hookers and undead assaulting that drunken fool. And it's based on a real story about Gillian getting legless and decided to race Ward's car around the estate, crashing it. Thankfully, Gillian came out unscathed from the incident. Are you ready to get trashed, folks ? Be smart, don't drink and drive !"

It really was a meeting  
The bottle took a beating  
The ladies of the manor  
Watched me climb into my car and  
I was going down the track about a hundred and five  
They had the stop-watch rolling  
I had the headlights blazing I was really alive  
And yet my mind was blowing  
I drank a bottle of tequila and I feel real good  
I had the tape deck roaring  
But on the twenty-fifth lap at the canal turn  
I went of exploring  
I knew I wouldn't make it the car just wouldn't make it  
I was turning tires burning  
The ground was in my sky  
I was laughing the bitch was trashed  
And death was in my eye

I had started pretty good and I was feeling my way  
I had the wheels in motion  
There was Peter and the Green fly laughing like drains  
Inebriation  
The crowd was roaring I was at Brands Hatch  
In my imagination  
But at the canal turn I hit an oily patch  
Inebriation

Ooh Mr. Miracle you saved me from some pain  
I thank you Mr. Miracle I won't get trashed again  
Ooh can you hear my lies  
Don't you bother with this fool just laugh into my eyes

So we went back to the bar and hit the bottle again  
But there was no tequila  
Then we started on the whisky just to steady our brains  
'Cos there was no tequila  
And as we drank a little faster at the top of our hill  
We began to roll  
And as we get trashed we were laughing still  
Well bless my soul

Mina suddenly noticed there was a slight problem. "Mom ? You might want to take a gander at the speedometer."

Ahsoka burst out of her bubble and shut off the radio in haste. "Huh ? Oh, kriff ! I'm going way over the current speed limit ! Not good !"

A siren was heard from a distance. Mina could only face-palm. "Way to go, Mom ! Way to go ! You're getting busted for speeding !"

Ahsoka cursed internally. She pulled over to the side of the road and waited as a highway patrolman rode to her on his motorcycle.

"Morning, Miss. Seems you've got a bit of a speed issue !"

Ahsoka stuck her head out from the window, her lekku hanging out in the open. "Yes, Officer. I won't bother denying it. I guess I was so caught up with the music on the radio that I didn't even notice that I was gaining dangerous speed."

The officer stared at her for a few moments, not sure how to react to her "unique" looks. "License and registration, please ?"

She offered him her papers. He took note of her citizenship and took note of her last name. "Chilean-American ? Bonteri sound Italian to me…"

Ahsoka struggled to remain polite. "Actually, my husband is of British nationality. So… what are you doing, Officer ?"

The officer handed her a piece of paper. "Makin' a ticket for ya, what would you expect ? My apologies, Miss, but I don't give anybody "free passes", so you're gonna have to pay for your mistake."

As she looked at the amount, she whimpered silently. "150$ for speeding ? Ok… Just a moment, Officer. Thankfully, I had retrieved more than enough cash before leaving New York City." She counted her bills and handed over the correct amount to the highway patrolman. "Here you are, Officer. Sorry about speeding."

"Remember to follow the limit, Miss. You're not the only one on the highway. Good day !" He left off on his motorcycle, hoping to catch more drivers going over the speed limit.

As Ahsoka started back the car, Mina looked at her with wide eyes. "Well… He didn't waste any time getting to the point, huh ? So now we've got 150$ less to spend."

Ahsoka sighed deeply. "I was in the wrong, Mina. Arguing with the cop would only make things worse. There goes my completely clean driving record."

A couple of hours later, they reached the City of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. It was close to Noon, and the women's stomachs began to grumble.

"Mom, can I make a suggestion ?"

Ahsoka was ever-receptive to Mina's ideas. "Sure thing, Mina. What is it ?"

"I don't want to eat at a McDonald's, a Burger King, Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, etc… Let's try a local joint."

The mention of food caused Ahsoka to lick her lips in anticipation. "Oh, I definitely want to try something unique ! Oh, look there, Mina ! "Ed's Exotic Burgers. A new, original burger every week !" Sounds like a place we could stop. Are you up for it, Mina ?"

Mina stretched herself in her seat, tapping her stomach. "Yep ! I could definitely go for a bite now, Mom."

They quickly parked and entered the diner. There were only a couple of customers aside them. The cook greeted them. "Woo hoo ! I love having travelers ! Where do you two lovely ladies come from ?"

Mina quickly took a stool by the middle. "We're from New York, sir. I'd bet you're Ed, huh ?"

Ed smiled. "Yeppers ! Make yourselves comfortable, ladies ! This week's unique burger is the General Tao burger, a breaded chicken burger with roasted red peppers and the typical sweet and spicy sauce associated with the Chinese dish."

Mina knew what to order instantly. "I'll try that, Ed !"

Ed rubbed his hands in excitement. "Ohhh, perfect, perfect ! How do you like your heat ? Mild, Medium or Hot ?"

"Hot ! I eat Jalapeno Peppers like popcorn, sir !" Mina boasted.

"Hot it is !" He turned his attention to Ahsoka. "And you, Miss… what can Ed do for you ?"

Ahsoka looked through the menu on the wall. "Do you have any burgers that are completely devoid of vegetables ? I'm allergic to most of them."

"Allergic to most veggies ? That's a shame, Miss. I wager you'd enjoy my Whiskey Bacon burger. A patty of my yummy beef, topped with smoked bacon and my own whiskey-flavored sauce, made with Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey ! So good, you'll ask for another !"

"Make one for me, sir ! I'll try that !"

Ed wrote the orders on a notepad. "Ok, she must be your daughter, huh ? You two look pretty similar ! Ok, a General Tao for her and a Whiskey Bacon for you ! It should be ready in about… 15 minutes ! While you wait, can I offer you ladies something to drink ? A beer maybe ?"

Ahsoka was "on the ball" quickly. "No beer, sir. I've got to drive later. Make it two Cokes, please !"

Ed was overjoyed. "Coke ! Yes, yes, YES ! THE soft drink to accompany burgers, never mind Pepsi, Sprite or even Root Beer ! I like you two !"

Mina felt a warm, fuzzy feeling overtake her. "In that case, we're more than happy to offer you our patronage, Ed !"

As Ed placed the patties on his grill, he quickly slid a couple of glasses of Coke, filled with ice. Both women slowly sipped their drinks.

A man around 30 years old approached Mina. "Well, aren't ya a pretty one ? You need any company later on ?"

Mina frowned back at him. "For your information, I have a boyfriend, so back off !"

He tried to feel her arm, sensing Ahsoka's gaze, he gave up and exited the diner.

10 minutes later, their burgers were served with a side of fries. "Try to tell me these aren't the best burgers and fries you've had in a good while. I dare ya !"

Mina took a bite of her General Tao burger and caught a bit of a red pepper. "Oof ! You know, Mom, if I had ear lobes, you'd probably see smoke coming out of them ! I wanted hot, I got HOT ! Whew !" She whispered to her mother.

Ahsoka took a bite of hers and managed to take a huge bit of smoked bacon. "This is fantastic, Mina ! Should we make burgers over the Summer at home, we'll try incorporating Jack Daniel's into the sauce. This is just heavenly !"

Ed sat on a stool over the counter. "So… what's the verdict ?"

Both women nodded while chewing. Once Ahsoka swallowed her bit, she fought against the urge to belch. "Good burger, sir ! Great fries, too !"

After they paid their lunch, they walked back to the car, feeling quite full. As they went through the traffic of Philadelphia, they noticed a familiar-looking building. Mina recognized it instantly. "Isn't that the stairs where Sylvester Stallone trained in the Rocky movies ?"

"Yep, those very stairs were used when Rocky prepared himself to face Apollo Creed for the first time ! It's a movie your father and I had seen on TV at first. We loved the story so much, we had to see part II and III when we noticed them at the video rental." Ahsoka answered.

Through the afternoon, they traveled through the State of Maryland and reached the City of Annapolis. They didn't even bother stopping and kept going towards Washington D.C., the capital of their country. Halfway on their route, they were looking for a place to spend the night.

Pulling over to the side of the road, Ahsoka checked her map. "Mina… I'm beginning to realize our trip will take a bit longer than we planned. Instead of being gone only one week, we'll need at least two weeks to make the full trip."

Something caught Mina's eye. "Mom, look over there ! What's written on that sign ?"

They drove a bit and quickly read the sign. "The Basic Motel. Next exit. Sounds like a place we could spend the night, Mina. Say we have a look ?"

About 10 minutes later, they stopped at the motel in question. 10 nice-looking cabins laid side by side. There was a house at the far right of them all. They pulled in near a cabin and walked over to the "office". As they entered, an elderly lady greeted them. "Hello, ladies. Welcome to the Basic Motel. If you're looking for a quiet night's rest, you couldn't have chosen a better place ! My prices are fair and even. 175$ per night. Interested ?"

Ahsoka nodded. "We're too tired to drive, regardless. We need some shut-eye."

"Perfect ! Take cabin #5. Here's the key." The old woman took the money and handed the key.

As the two entered their designated cabin, they were quite surprised… and disappointed. Mina was the first to voice her thoughts. "Yup, it's basic for sure ! A couple of beds, a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet, and a table with a few chairs. No TV, computer or even a radio ! It's surprising we've actually got heating and electricity."

Ahsoka took a seat, taking a breather. "I guess a quiet evening won't hurt us, Mina." She looked at the basket on the table. "Hmm… We've got a loaf of bread, a row of crackers, some cheese and some sliced sausage. We could make ourselves an easy dinner with this."

Mina's attention was taken by the additional items in the basket. "At least they were nice enough to include a bottle of wine. Frontera Merlot ? Chilean ? That can't be all that bad, Mom."

Ahsoka chuckled. "It's nothing fancy, Mina. As your father would say : El Cheapo Vino. It's a 5$ wine, but it'll do."

"Wait up, Mom. There's a mini-fridge here." She opened it. "Oh… just some water bottles and a 6 pack of Budweiser. Bleh."

Ahsoka helped herself to a beer. "Oh, don't pout, Mina ! Appreciate what you're given. With just these, we're not going to have that much of a headache. Maybe a beer will help you lighten up a bit."

Mina opened one herself. "I blame Dad for spoiling me with all those imports. Hmm… you know, there could be worse things than Bud." An item at the very bottom of the basket caught her attention. "Ha ha ha ! Well, we certainly won't be using _this_!"

Ahsoka dared to look. "What is… ?! A pack of latex condoms ?! Oh, for Force's Sake ! Definitely won't be touching those ! Ha ha ha ha !"

Mina couldn't help but snort a laugh. "If you were with Dad or I was with Travis… It would probably be put to use…"

Ahsoka almost choked on her beer. "So you two went the distance ? When did that happen ?"

Mina face-palmed. "Oh, Mom ! That was like… 6 years ago ! I was 16. A couple of weeks after my birthday, we finally decided to go for it."

Ahsoka smirked. "Quite the experience, huh ?"

"It was… and still is !"

Ahsoka raised her beer bottle. "A toast to our lovers, then ?"

Mina quickly raised her bottle. "I'll drink to that !"

Over the course of the evening, mother and daughter discussed many topics such as Mina's experience with pot and Ahsoka's funny incidents at work, while they shared both food and drink. By the end of the evening, most of the sausage and cheese was gone, leaving only a bit for the morning. Not too surprisingly, all the beer and wine was drunk.

 **Sunday, May 18th**

The very first thing Ahsoka felt while getting up was a slight hangover. " _Ohhhhh ! We probably shouldn't have drunk all the wine afterall. Where's Mina ?_ "

Mina stepped out of the bathroom, showered and clothed. "Morning, Mom ! I hope you slept pretty good. I was out like a light !"

Ahsoka slid out of bed, stretching herself a bit before slightly stumbling to the bathroom. "I'm sure I've had worse nights, Mina. But that wine did knock me out good ! We still have those water bottles in the fridge, right ?"

"Yep. By the way, you remember that it's pretty basic out here ? There's no fan in the bathroom. The steam from the shower gets bothersome quick." Mina fetched herself a water bottle and took a sip.

In record time, Ahsoka was showered and out of the bathroom, fetching her clothes for the day. "The worst is over at least. That shower did help a bit to recuperate from the hangover."

Mina did a check on their room. "The bed is hardly soiled. Should we make it ?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "No. I wouldn't be surprised that they wash their sheets daily. Leave it as is. I'll go hand back their key. Wait for me in the car."

Once Ahsoka took the driver's seat, Mina took out the map. "So… how far are we planning to get today ?"

"Getting through Washington D.C. could take us a huge part of our day. We'll try to reach the State of Virginia before we call it a night."

On their way over the highway, they stopped at a roadside diner for a breakfast of eggs, bacon and toasts. That, with a couple of cups of coffee, gave them the necessary energy needed to get through their late morning and afternoon. Eventually, they would reach Washington D.C., the major capital city.

 **So Ahsoka and Mina still have a long way to go before they reach the State of Louisiana. While she did get a speeding ticket, it didn't keep her from spending quality time with her daughter. Their journey is only beginning. I hope you folks don't mind the love I gave for Black Sabbath in the chapter. While I never had the opportunity to see them live, I can still appreciate their music despite their often controversial nature. A shame they gave their last show of their final tour a couple of months ago. Oh well… Feel free to leave a review.**


	3. Hyuk Hyuk Hyuk Hyuk ! Hee hee hee hee !

Around 11 :30 am, the ladies had reached the city limits of Washington D.C. Ahsoka, caught up with her driving through intense traffic, passed her cellphone to Mina.

"In our "excitement" last night, we completely forgot to call your father and brother. We might as well call them up now and let them know where we are."

Mina scoffed. "If Dan answers, I'm betting you a beer that he'll make smartass comments. Here goes." Mina dialed the home number.

As expected, Daniel was the one to pick up the phone. "Y'hello !"

"Hey Dan, it's Mina. How's things at home ?"

"How's things ? Let's see… We have a part of the house on fire, Dad invited a bunch of whores to spend the night with, Aayla is stuck in the toilet upstairs…"

"DAN ! Quit being a smartass ! How do you come up with such ridiculous ideas anyway ?!" Mina couldn't hold her laughter, nearly dropping the phone.

"You ought to know, sis ! We're both a bit crazy thanks to Mom and Dad's loony sense of humor ! In all seriousness, everything's fine. I actually just finished cleaning Aayla's litter box. You weren't kidding, poop quickly piles up during the day. Must be her fancy cat food you buy her, ah ha ha ha !"

"Always the smart aleck, huh little brother ? Listen, we're about to enter Washington D.C. We haven't decided yet whether we'll just pass through or stop and spend the day sightseeing."

Dan chuckled over his end. "If I were you sis, I'd stop and go sightseeing. Stop by the White House if you can… and offer President Bush a huge bag of broccoli ! I'm sure he'll _love_ that !"

Mina burst out in laughter. "Dan, you idiot ! Stop saying these silly things, if this keeps up, I'll pee in my pants !"

"Wouldn't want an "accident" like that, huh sis ? So… you want me to tell Dad where you two at ? He's in the shower right now, but I'll let him know, ok ?"

Mina began to calm down a bit. "Ok, Dan. We'll try to call you guys tonight. No promises, though ! You enjoy your day, bro ! See ya !"

The moment Mina hung up the phone, Ahsoka could only smirk at her. "Sounds like I owe you a beer… or even two !"

"I'm not going to repeat what he said, but some of his ideas are downright loony ! He would make a good stand-up comedian, I think." Mina's stomach began to growl. "Geez, it's only been a couple of hours since we had breakfast and I'm still hungry !"

A proverbial lightbulb appeared over Ahsoka's head. "We'll stop at the next local joint we come across. Once we've eaten, we'll find a hotel to check in. Hopefully something that won't break the bank. We'll do a bit of sightseeing, ok with you ?"

"Sure ! All that driving through heavy traffic really gets the nerves shot, doesn't it ?"

"People are crazy on the roads, Mina ! You have to look everyWHERE BEFORE PROCEEDING ! HOLY FORCE ! Did you see that ?! That nut just passed between us and that truck, came so close to getting himself killed in the process !" A driver had raced in front of her and passed a speeding truck.

Ahsoka's heart beat rapidly for several minutes. "Gotta find a spot to pull over… Goodness, that scared the crap out of me !"

Mina's eyes almost left their sockets. "Your reaction to that scared the crap out of me ! Geez, some people are either daredevils or suicidal !"

They finally pulled over to a small pub. It was named "The President's Eatery and Brew".

As Ahsoka stepped out of the car, she began to calm down a bit. "Maybe a beer will help me relax."

As they entered, they were greeted by a waitress. "Hello ladies ! You came in just in time ! We've got a fresh batch of fried clams right out of the fryer. These, with some tartar sauce and a Belgian beer ? I don't think you'll have a better lunch right about now."

Mina quickly claimed a bar stool to herself. "Sold ! What kinda beers you got ?"

The waitress stared at Mina for a moment. "Wow ! That has to be the most original hairdo I've ever seen ! But before I list what we've got, I'll need some ID, honey !"

Mina reached into her purse. "ID ? No problem. Give a moment, miss." She managed to find her driver's licence. "Here you are."

The waitress took a quick look. "Born in '85 ? Just a speck above legal age. Congratulations, hun !" She handed Mina back her card and looked at her listings. "Ok… We've got Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, Leffe Blonde… and if you're up to it, we also have Blue Moon, a Belgian-style craft beer made by Coors, on tap."

Ahsoka soon joined her daughter. "Coors made a Belgian beer ? I'm sure my daughter will go for it too ! And yes, those fried clams do sound delicious !"

In an instant, both ladies had their food served before them. "Here you are, ladies ! Enjoy !"

Mina was the first to take a bite. "Hmm ? Tastes a bit… "rubbery". But overall not bad. Dipping the clam strips in the tartar sauce certainly adds a bit of flavour."

Ahsoka took a sip from her beer. "Hmm. Hey, this is great ! It really does taste like a Belgian White ! You can even taste the typical orange peel and coriander ! Well, I know someone at home who will enjoy this !"

After their meal, they were given their tab. Ahsoka was about to reach for her purse, Mina slapped her hand away. "Enough, Mom ! You've already paid the first several lunches of our trip and a night at a motel. It's my turn to pay !"

" _How about that ? She's taking this trip to heart ! What a kind gesture to her dear mother ! Has it already been over 20 years since I've been taking care of her back at our old apartment ?! My Force, does time go by !_ " Ahsoka waited by the door as Mina paid their tab and even gave a generous 10$ tip to the waitress.

As they entered the car, they had to decide on where to spend the night. "So… how expensive a hotel are we gonna go for, Mom ?"

Ahsoka cupped her chin, deep in thought. "I'm not sure yet, Mina. Maybe a family suite if it's reasonable ?"

Mina raised an eye marking. "Define "reasonable"."

"Less than 500$ if we can help it. Being we're in the capital of the country, odds are rooms won't be cheap, Mina."

Mina came up with a plan. "Instead of going around the city looking for a spot, maybe I could ask that waitress. She ought to know."

"Good thinking, Mina. It would save us a bit of time. Go ahead, I'll wait here."

Once Mina re-entered the pub, the waitress gave her a confused. "Hello again. Did you forget something ?"

"We're planning to spend the night here. Do you know of any hotels that would run us less than 500$ ?"

"The Sofitel is a good one. Really nice rooms, a great restaurant, free Internet. Wouldn't be surprised that they have a bar as well. I'm pretty sure it's less than 500$ a night." The waitress offered Mina directions to reach it quickly.

Before leaving, Mina offered an additional 10$ tip for her assistance. As she stepped into the car, Ahsoka was looking over the map. "So ? Found anything ?"

"Yep, there's a decent hotel called the Sofitel, in Lafayette Square. Do you mind if I drive for now ? I'll be able to see the directions easily."

They switched places and Mina drove for about half an hour before finally reaching their hotel. They took out their luggage and entered the plaza. Ahsoka stopped by the reception area. "Hello ! We're looking for a room. Would you happen to have a Family Suite available ?"

The receptionist looked up onto her computer. "You're in luck ! We have one suite left. It's on the 3rd floor. There's two Queen-sized beds, you've got a spa, a large bathroom, a mini-fridge with some selection of drinks and even a full counter with chips, bread, coffee, etc… And there's also a computer with broadband Internet and a large balcony that gives you a good view of most of Washington D.C. Right now, we've got a 15% reduction…" The receptionist made a quick calculation. "… which brings us to a grand total of… 475.48$. You're not going to find a better price anywhere else for all that's included in the package."

Ahsoka quickly reached for her credit cards. "Done deal !"

Before the receptionist could take Ahsoka's card, Mina stepped forward. "Excuse me, miss. Is it possible so I could pay one half and my mother pays the other ?"

Ahsoka was about to argue. "Mina…"

Mina quickly turned to her. "Don't argue. It's not up to you to pay for everything. We should have an equal part in the spending."

Once both returned their attention to the receptionist, she made the arrangements to accommodate both. "Ok, it'll be 237.74$ each." Mina paid her half with her Debit card while Ahsoka paid the rest with her American Express card. Once their dues paid, the ladies went straight to their designated suite.

Mina was immediately impressed. "Woah ! Look at all this room ! All for the two of us ! No doubt that spa will be mighty relaxing later tonight."

After both placed their luggage on the bed, Ahsoka made a beeline to the bathroom. "I'll be in there for a few moments. Do you need to go to the bathroom before we venture out ?"

"Yes, I'll need to pee before we go. While you're there, I'm gonna try out the computer." Mina pressed the Power switch. Within minutes, the computer had booted and the desktop screen appeared.

Mina used the mouse to find the web browser, which was Internet Explorer. It brought her to the most unusual home page. "Huh ? A YouTube video as the home page ? Ok… what's this ? "Dad at Comedy Barn" ? What the ?" She read the description. "This is my father. Yes, that is his real laugh. Enjoy."

As Mina began to play the video, the host was standing behind three chairs while holding foam sticks. "There, right at them seats. Let's give 'em all a big round of applause ! Let's go !" Three men, the one by the right wore a bright red shirt and had a mustache, the one in the middle was a man wearing a yellow shirt and had glasses while the one on the left wore a pinkish shirt. The host tapped the man on the head with his foam stick.

"What is your name, sir ?"

"Steve." The man replied.

The host tapped Steve on the head again. "Good to have you here, Steve ! Where ya from ?"

"Alabama !"

The host raised his foam sticks in the air. "Alabama ! Anybody else ?" Many cheered in the audience. "And what do you do for a living, Steve ?"

"Work for the government." Steve answered.

He gets tapped on the head again by the host. "Work for the government ? No wonder it took you so long to get here ! Let me ask you Steve, what do you do for the government ?"

Steve was already struggling with laughter. "I'll think about it for a while."

The host joined in the laugh fest. "Think about it for a while ? You watch people work ? No kiddin' ! Oh, you're a supervisor ! What do you do ? You build tanks ? No kiddin' ! You build tanks for like the army ? No kiddin' ! What part of the tank do you build, Steve ? You just watch it get built ? No kiddin' !" The host turned to the audience, smiling. "Man, that's a government job right there ! Who else could answer "What's your job ?" "I watch tanks get built !"

The host turned back his attention to Steve, who's already cramped with laughter. "So you just watch it, what's the most common problem with a tank ?"

"It wore out !"

The host keeps going. "It wore out ?! What about what's getting built ? Where you're supposed to watch for problems ?"

Steve's shoulders move up and down, the poor guy can't stop himself. Not only is the host a reason to laugh, but his friend at the middle begins to catch everybody's attention.

The host quickly notices the incredible talent. "You just… ? Say what ?" He brings up a microphone to the middle person, named Doug. "Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk !" The laugh brings everyone, including the host to instant laughter.

At this point, even Mina is finding herself giggling with the audience.

The host brings the microphone to Doug again. "Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk !" The audience laughed again intensively.

The host goes to the back room, signaling a few of his showrunners to see the spectacle. He brings the microphone for a third time to Doug. "Hyuk hyuk hyuk !"

By now, Mina began to laugh more loudly. "Oh wow ! This is golden ! MOM ! Come here quick, you have to see this !"

Ahsoka slowly walked over to her. "What's up ?"

"Grab yourself a chair, Mom. Listen to this."

Ahsoka's attention became focused on the video. "Ok… people are laughing… But why ?"

Mina began to have trouble laughing. "Wait for it, Mom. Just wait for it."

The host attached the microphone to a stand and placed it in front of Doug. He's trying so hard to stop laughing, but can't help himself. "Heh… Ha ha… Hee hee hee ! Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk ! Heh he he he ! Hee hee hee hee ! Heh heh… Hee hee hee hee !"

The host desperately tries to get back to business. "Folks, this show may be over !"

Through Doug's contagious laughter, even Ahsoka couldn't stop herself to join in the laugh fest. "Oh Force ! Mina… This is… This is.. Ah ha ha ha ha ! I'm laughing so much that it hurts ! Make it stop ! Make… it… stop ! He he he he !"

Both ladies are clutching their sides, trying to stop. They laugh so much they come close to crying.

The host still struggled to continue his act. "Hoo boy… You gotta save me one of these videos…. Oof… Ok… Can you please stop ? Stop. Please." The poor host is almost on his knees in laughter. He then ran out the back room to catch his breath. He returned and still needed several moments before he could act. Doug's incessant laugh was too much to bear. He waved at the camera. "Turn the microphone off !" He tapped the microphone in front of Doug, to ensure that was turned off for good. After he regained some form of control, he tried to resume. "Ok… Ok, let's get through this, people !" He tapped the left guy's head with his foam stick. "What's your name ?"

"Jeff." He answered.

"Jeff ! Where you from ?"

Jeff spoke loud and clear. "Ohio !"

The host raised his foam sticks again. "Ohio ! Anybody else ?" Many in the audience cheered. "What do you do for a living, Jeff ?"

"Fedex !" Jeff shouted.

The host tried to regain control of his act. "Fedex ? No kiddin' !" Before he could move on, Doug's laughter still kept going. The host finally gave up. "That's great ! We'll get back to you in a minute. Turn the microphone back on. Huh ? What ? Turn the MIKE ON !" He tapped Doug's head. "What's your name ? Doug ? Great to have you here, Doug ! Where you from ? Memphis ! Anybody else ? What do you do for a living, Doug ? Ride a school bus ? Boy, that would keep the kids quiet, won't it ? How have you been driving a school bus for ? 5 years ?"

Once Doug resumed his laugh, the host couldn't go on. "Ha ha ha ! You know what ? Turn the mike back on ! I can't talk anymore… Go ahead and listen to Doug, I'll be back in a minute !" He went off to regain much needed breath of air.

Doug laughed and laughed and laughed… Nothing seemed to stop him.

Finally the host decided to finish his act. "Ok, look. We gotta get through this here ! Very simple rules ! When I tap you on the head one time, open and close your mouth real quick !" He tried it on all three people. Poor Steve was still shaking his shoulders from all the laughing. Doug was still going with his laugh, giving the host a difficult time to do his act. "When I tap you on the back, you nod your head "Yes" over and over and over !" He did it on all three. Doug was unable to stop his train of contagious laughter.

The act ended with the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen to be played in the background, with the host making the 3 move their mouths and heads as if they were singing the song. During all this time, Doug never stopped laughing !

By the end of the video, both ladies were rolling on the floor in laughter.

Mina struggled to make it to the bathroom in time. "It's a miracle I didn't pee myself in laughter during all of this ! I don't think I've laughed this hard in so long !"

Ahsoka was on her knees, laughing incessantly. "Oh Force ! My chest hurts from all this laughing ! Ha ha ha ! Ow ! Remind me to show this to your father and Dan when we get back !" She wiped tears from her eyes.

As soon as Mina stepped out of the bathroom, she had to sit down and take several breaths before saying anything. "Oof… Can we take a 10 minute break before we go ? All that laughing sure made for good abdominal exercises ! Whew !"

 **Oh man, I don't think I've laughed this much while writing a chapter. The alluded YouTube video is very real. Keywords are simple : "Dad at Comedy Barn". It should be the very first result in your search. It's impossible to not burst out in laughter during the video. I remember seeing this video over 5 years ago, I laughed and laughed to the point of crying. Even now, it is still hilarious as ever. Over the next chapter, we'll cover the ladies' sightseeing of Washington D.C. Feel free to leave a review.**


	4. Sightseeing, Fancy Dinner and Pool Games

After having caught their breaths from the hilarious video, the ladies finally left their hotel suite.

Mina quickly checked her wallet and counted her spending money. "Woah ! I didn't even realize that I brought over 500$ worth of spending money !"

Ahsoka shot a smirk towards her daughter. "Looks like someone is expecting to go on a shopping spree. How much did you have in your account anyways ?"

Mina searched through her transaction slips. "Let's see… After I made a withdrawal at the bank, I had around… over 1200$ left ! So, considering the payment of our room and the lunch earlier, I'd now have around… 900+$. So I had likely around 1700$ before I made that withdrawal. Gee ! I didn't expect to have gained that much at Walmart, of all places !"

"So you weren't paid minimum wage ?"

Mina shrugged her shoulders. "Meh, it was about 12$ an hour, give or take. But no, I won't miss working there, Mom. I get the feeling corporations are beginning to be more demanding of their employees than ever before."

They walked outside and were about to make a beeline for the car. Mina grabbed hold of her mother's hand. "No. Put the keys back in the purse, Mom. It's beautiful outside, it's only 2:30 PM, we still have half of the afternoon to do a bit of sightseeing before the majority of the city shuts down."

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "What the Force are you going on about ?"

Mina rolled her eyes. "In case you forgot, it is Sunday today, so I would assume most businesses will be closed by 5."

Ahsoka whirled to her. "Ok… so what do _you_ want to see ?"

Mina thought about their path for a moment. "Well, seeing the White House, even from the gates surrounding it, would be nice. We could also check out the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument… if you're up to it."

"Well, we better get moving as we'll be walking for most of the afternoon." After about half an hour of walking, Ahsoka stopped by a women's clothing shop. "Before we stop at the White House, we might as well blend in with the crowd."

As they entered the shop, something caught Mina's gaze instantly. "Ha ha ! Hey Mom, look at this shirt ! "I have a boyfriend, tough luck !" Perhaps that'll stop men from hitting on me !"

Ahsoka perused the selection of available shirts. "Hmm… Oh ! There's even one that's made for me, Mina ! "Sorry boys, I'm already married !" And it seems to fit…" She went off into a changing area. After a bit of struggle passing her montrals and lekku through the top, she came out, decked out with the new shirt. "How do I look ?"

Mina snorted a laugh. "You look like you'll be breaking hearts left and right, Mom ! No doubt many men would want you. You're as beautiful as they come !"

Ahsoka guided Mina to the changing area. "You might as well try yours."

Mina had a bit less trouble fitting herself thanks to her smaller headtails and lower montrals. As she stepped out, she whirled in place. "Hopefully, people will get the hint with this on !"

"If they don't, Mina, they're hopeless. Well, I'm satisfied with this shirt. Let me change back in my old shirt and you'll get your turn after." Once Mina had also changed back to her old shirt, both ladies went to the cash register to pay for their clothes. The person was an old lady. She shot them a look of disdain. "Young'uns these days ! Why ruin good hair by having it in those ways ?"

Ahsoka frowned at the woman's remarks. "It's our choice if we want to look like this, Miss. We're just here to pay for these and we'll be on our way."

The old lady shook her head disapprovingly. "You're not going to have a significant other with those looks… Huh ?! You're buying those shirts ? You mean to tell me than men love those crazy hairstyles ?"

As they paid, Mina looked at the old lady, slightly insulted by her rude comments. "Fortunately, there are some people out there, unlike _you_ , that look beyond mere appearances. Good day, Miss."

As they stepped out of the shop, they both looked at each other. Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief. "It's a good thing she mistook our montrals and lekku for hair… if she knew the truth, odds are we would have caused that poor woman to suffer a heart attack."

Mina chuckled. "Well… we can only play the old "It's a new hairstyle" card for so long, Mom. It's only a matter of time until _someone_ recognizes you from your appearance on the Conan O'Brien show, which aired 8 years ago…"

Ahsoka face-palmed, the memories of her clumsy entrance and exit coming back to her. "You just HAD to remind me of that, didn't you, Mina ?"

"You have to admit Mom, it was funny ! I don't think I had seen Conan laugh so hard during his show. But some of his questions were downright ridiculous and embarrassing. "So how does your kind "make babies" ? Is there a "facehugger" and "chestburster" phase like in Aliens ?" I mean… seriously ?!"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, recalling her unusual interview. "Yeah… That was an awkward one. You should have seen his face redden in embarrassment when I told him it was by good ol' "sexual reproduction". He had trouble accepting that Togrutas were considered "mammals" despite being completely hairless. I mean, we're warm-blooded, we bear live young, nurse them with breastmilk, etc…"

"At least the audience enjoyed the informative talk, Mom. So it wasn't a complete waste." Mina took a quick gander at her watch. "We've already spent nearly an hour and we haven't reached the White House yet. Let's speed up our pace."

15 minutes later, they've reached the gates of the White House. They were in complete awe by what they were able to see. "From an architectural stand, this is an impressive building. To think many Presidents and First Ladies lived in there during their time in power. Bush is likely on his way out this fall… who do you think will replace him, Mina ?"

Mina thought about the two candidates. "Somehow I get the feeling Obama will win the election in the end. You have to admit his speeches have been turning a lot of heads… for the better. Hopefully if he does become President, he can come up with a peaceful diplomatic solution to all the terrorism going on."

Ahsoka began to move away from the gates and was looking for the quickest way to reach their next destination, the Lincoln Memorial. "So we move through that path leading South, we'll wind up right at the Washington Monument. We'll stop there for a quick look, then we'll check out the Lincoln Memorial. Ok with you, Mina ?"

Mina nodded in agreement. "Two birds with one stone, huh ? Let's do it !"

They soon stood before the impressive Washington Monument, an obelisk which reaches upwards to 555 feet high. Mina placed a hand above her eyes, trying to focus on the highest point of the monument. "Why was this created again ? I must have heard it in History class back in middle school, but don't count on the 11-year old me to have retained all of that at the time…"

"Even I don't know all the historical details, Mina. It was erected in honor of George Washington, hailed as "The Father of the Country, the Leader who was first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen"… or something along those lines." Ahsoka took her time to admire the design.

Mina could only chuckle at her mother's attempt at sounding patriotic. "You're not even American and you're sounding pretty much like one !"

"Let's say having taken in their history and way of life have rubbed off on me. When your father and I crashed-landed on the planet 24 years ago, we had very low expectations that we'd succeed so smoothly in Life. Before that time, we were both tempered by war. So adapting to a peaceful civilian lifestyle was a major change for us. And of course, _you_ had to come along the following year and change our lives even more.

You have no idea how relieved I am, Mina, that you didn't go through what I went through while growing up. The Clone Wars were no joke. While I was always focused on surviving, I often thought that the next battle would be my last. And the other one following it and so on…" The thoughts about her past stirred some memories and emotions. "Anyways, as I keep telling myself, it's pointless to cling to the past. What's done is done. It's already 4 PM. We'll have a good look at the Lincoln statue, then we'll head back to our hotel."

Mina walked alongside her mother, an eye marking raised. "Why in such a rush, Mom ?"

"Odds are the visiting will end around 5. While we were going to our suite for the first time, I had read the details of our package. Included is also a full 3 service dinner and the breakfast the following morning." Ahsoka's stomach began to grumble. "See ? My body is reacting already, just thinking about food."

"It's no wonder you and Dad got along so well. You seem to enjoy eating as much as he does."

Ahsoka stopped in her tracks, facing Mina and pacing her hands on her shoulders. "Back at the Jedi Temple, Mina, we had to follow a very strict diet and we were also asked to do plenty of exercises. We couldn't allow ourselves to gain much weight. We had to stay slim so we could remain quick and agile on the battlefield. I guess that's one habit I haven't broken out of. All those morning exercises have contributed to my continuous svelte form. Nowadays, you certainly noticed that I do gorge once in a while. But following the large meal, I make up for it by doing plenty of exercise to burn the excess calories." For anyone who looked at her, Ahsoka didn't appear to be in her mid-40s at all. She aged remarkably well.

At least Mina had hope that she inherited her mother's Togrutan genetics to keep herself into shape. "Considering all the junk food I ate as a Teen, now I know why I'm still not a blimp. Tho I don't work out as much as you do."

"It's a Togrutan trait to be sort-of skinny. I've never actually seen an obese Togruta, now that I think of it. That does have its advantages, it makes us remain attractive throughout most of our lives. Even I recall another Togruta in the Order by the name of Shaak Ti. By the time I left the Order, I would guess she was probably around 50. But basing myself on her looks alone, she looked to be your age, Mina. She was so beautiful, it's no wonder so many Clones back at Kamino swooned over her."

They finally reached the Lincoln Memorial. Mina's breath was taken away. "Yeah, that's one BIG statue. To have been commemorated in such a way, he must have been well-loved by the people at the time."

"And then some hateful person had to come and assassinate him. I don't get why there is so much hate, so much violence in the world…"

As Mina admired the statue some more, she knew the reason for hate to be ever-present. "As much as I hate to say it, Mom, some people seem to thrive on Chaos. I can't understand why, since Peace is much more pleasant… at least from my point of view."

Ahsoka wrapped a loving arm around her daughter. "There will always be those that only look to hurt others, Mina. Whatever happens, we'll stick together and we'll remain strong in the face of disaster, ok ?"

Mina hugged her mother gently in response. "You're already done more than enough, Mom. Remember when you saved me and Obi from that black bear at the trail in the camping grounds ? Or when you rescued me from Vader's clutches ?"

"It is a mother's duty to protect her children against any and all dangers, Mina. I would never let anyone hurt you. Ever." As she said those words, her memory raced to a particular moment when she was on the run from the Clones and Jedi. When she was falsely accused for the murder of Letta Turmond, Clones and many civilians during the Jedi Temple Bombing. She fought against breaking down in front of her daughter. She took a deep breath. "Enough about the past for now, Mina. Let's get back to the hotel. I, for one, am starving !"

They backtracked to the hotel. They quickly went over to their suite to change into their new shirts. Mina seemed especially amused. "There is a bar somewhere in the hotel, right ? I'm betting you a drink that someone will still try to hit on either of us, despite having these shirts on."

Ahsoka shook her hand. "You're on ! We'll hit the bar a bit later tonight. Let's go and see what kind of dinner we might have, shall we ?"

As they entered the large dining area, a number of waiters were moving about in all directions. Despite being a Sunday evening, it was still busy.

A waiter greeted them. "Good evening, ladies. My name is Danny, I'll be your waiter for tonight. If you'll follow me." He lead Ahsoka and Mina to a small table. As they sat, he poured water in their glasses. "Our meal for tonight begins with a New England clam chowder as the appetizer. The main course is fresh, boiled lobster flown in from Maine. For dessert, we have some special pudding of an old recipe from Canada. I will be bringing your wine by the time the lobster is cooked. Would you prefer red or white ?"

Ahsoka looked up to him. "Usually, we're big drinkers of red. To change our habit a bit, I'm willing to try some white. What would you recommend ?"

Danny checked his notes. "Well… that depends on how you'll be eating your lobster. Will it be with lemon juice sprinkled over the meat or will you be dipping it in butter ?"

Mina raised an eye marking. "Is there that much a difference ?"

"Yes. If you choose to sprinkle lemon juice, I would suggest pairing it with a Sauvignon Blanc, since it will cut into the acidity of the juice. If you go with butter, a nice Chardonnay will cut through the fat of the butter. What will it be, ladies ?"

Ahsoka's adventurous nature with food and drink kicked in. "Well… I would assume you have some variety available ?"

"But of course !" Danny gave them a wine list. Mina quickly perused it. "Ohhh… They have Kim Crawford available as Sauvignon Blanc or Unoaked Chardonnay… We have had the Pinot Noir on many occasions and it has been fantastic ! But… on the other side, J. Lohr Chardonnay is supposed to be amazing too !"

Ahsoka made a snap decision. "I think we'll take the butter option, Danny. And we'll go with the Kim Crawford Chardonnay."

Danny scribbled notes on his notepad. "Perfect ! I can speak from experience, you will not find a better Chardonnay for the occasion. I have little doubt you'll be very pleased with your choice. Will it be a glass each or will you be sharing a full bottle ?"

It was Mina's turn to quickly come with an answer. "We'd better take a full bottle, in case we like it so much ! Thanks for the recommendation !"

"Excellent ! The clam chowder will be served momentarily." The waiter went off to prepare their appetizer.

Mina was already anticipating a busy evening. "It's moments like these that make me appreciate being a young adult, Mom. I can already taste both lobster and wine."

"You took your time to get used to it, Mina. But now you know, once you start taking a liking to wine, there's no turning back."

"When I go on dates with Travis at a high-end restaurant, I'm always on the lookout for a new wine to try out. The last time we went out, we had a Filet Mignon with a Cabernet Sauvignon from California. I believe the brand was either Liberty School or Wente ? I forget which it was. Regardless, it was a perfect match."

Ahsoka could only laugh at her daughter's excitement. "I see that your father molded you rather well when it comes to good wine. At first, we didn't know what were the really good brands, so we often went with the inexpensive brands until we became more knowledgeable. Nowadays, I rarely buy a wine under 20$."

Mina took a sip of her water. "And… just by curiosity, what were the most expensive wines you or Dad bought in recent memory ?"

"In recent memory ?" Ahsoka thought for a moment. "Well… when we're in the mood for a high-end wine, we usually wound up with something Italian. Any Amarone is always a winner in our books. A Ripasso or Chianti also meets our needs well enough. We've also had the French one called Chateauneuf-Du-Pâpe on many occasions. There is an astounding variety available from all over the world."

Before the women could continue their conversation, their clam chowder had arrived. "Here you are, ladies. Bon appétit !"

Mina was about to take a spoonful, but blew first to cool it down a bit. As she took her first bite, the look on her face told Ahsoka she was pleasantly surprised. She soon swallowed. "Oh wow ! Now _this_ is my type of clam chowder ! Baby clams in every spoonful, loads of cut-up potatoes and that broth is to die for !"

Ahsoka soon took her first bite as well. "Yep, the broth really stands out here ! I'd say they used all sorts of herbs and spices. This is fantastic !"

After their chowder was eaten, Danny showed up with their chosen bottle of wine. "Here we are ! Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay, slightly chilled in order to release all of the aromas. Would you care to taste first, Miss ?" He poured a bit of it and offered it to Mina.

Mina swirled the glass a little bit and brought her nose near the rim, taking a whiff. "Ohhh… Well, this is interesting… I'm getting some form of tropical fruits… and even some butter ? Is that possible ?" She took a quick sip, swishing the wine in her mouth for a moment. "Woah ! Well… I guess this is THE Chardonnay that I'll judge all the rest by ! I can only guess it'll pair exceptionally well with the lobster."

Ahsoka had a similar reaction when she tried the wine. Their lobster soon arrived with all the necessary tools such as the special forks to pry out the lobster meat from the legs and the inside the pincers. Dipping the meat in butter and following with a sip of wine was a joy for the senses. About half an hour later, they had eaten every single bit of the lobster meat, leaving only the shell and discarded legs and pincers. They still had half of the bottle full. As much as they were tempted to finish the bottle while having dessert, Mina convinced her mother to save what's left for later.

As the waiter arrived, he looked a bit surprised that the bottle wasn't empty. "It seems that you've enjoyed both food and drink… There's still half the bottle full ? I can't take it back you know…"

Ahsoka looked up to him. "We liked it so much, that we would like to save what's left for later. Are we allowed to take the bottle back to our suite ?"

Danny nodded. "Of course, you may. People do it all the time. If you're done with the lobster, give me a moment to get your desserts. It's Pouding Chômeur, a Canadian cake topped with Canadian Maple syrup."

Mina licked her lips in anticipation. "That does sound delicious. It's not a fancy dessert by any means, but it's so good !"

As the waiter left off to retrieve the pudding dessert, Ahsoka thought back to her trip with Kayla in Québec, Canada. "It was kind of funny, both of us hardly able to speak any French during our stay. Thankfully, that cheap English/French dictionary I bought at a convenience store helped us out. Still, it took us many days to get even the most basic of pronunciations down. Anyways, all of that banter to say that, yes, I tried this dessert before during our trip. Neither of us had a clue what _Chômeur_ meant. We assumed it was some local dialect. Imagine our surprise when we learnt it translated to unemployment. It makes sense since this dessert was created during the Great Depression in the 1930s."

As their dessert was served, both eagerly went through their portions in a matter of minutes. Ahsoka patted her stomach. "Whew ! I can tell I've likely gained a pound or two from this meal alone ! Which means I'll need to do some rigorous exercises when we get back home."

Mina licked her lips, allowing the maple taste of the dessert to last as long as possible. "I need to make a mental note to look up the recipe for this online. I don't think it would be all that complicated… and Travis would certainly love this ! He has a sweet tooth as much as I do. It's no wonder we got along so well !"

As Ahsoka rose up from her chair, she felt slightly dizzy. "Guess that wine packed more of a punch than I assumed. Then again, we only had two full glasses each. We'll place the bottle in the fridge, go to the bathroom if need be… Then, we could check out the bar in this hotel."

"Sounds like a plan ! I'm already wondering what kind of drink will I indulge in… Spiced Rum ? Or maybe some Irish Whiskey ?" Mina followed her mother back to the suite.

As they arrived to their suite, both ladies attended to their business. Once they were done, they left off in search of the hotel's bar. Mina had her ID card on herself, suspecting she would definitely be asked. As they arrived at the bar, Mina found a nice surprise. "Hey, they've got a couple of pool tables ! Cool ! We can have some friendly games of pool while we have a drink or two."

They both arrived in front of the bartender, a slightly obese man with a full beard. "Hello ladies, you two sure stand out like a sore thumb with hair and tattoos like that ! What'll it be ?"

Mina looked over to the liquor selection on the wall. "Hmm… Oh ! You've got Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum ! I'll take a Rum & Coke with that, sir !"

The bartender eyed her suspiciously for a moment. "I need to ask for some ID, little lady. I wager ya got some on ya ?"

"Of course." She handed her card over to the bartender.

"September 25th, 1985 ? Woah ! You look around 16 or so, little lady ! Well, you check out." He took a quick look at Ahsoka. "Your Mom, huh ? You think she'd like getting her ID asked ?" The bartender joked.

Ahsoka played along, placing her License in front of his face. "Do I check out as well, sir ?"

The bartender did a double take. "February 8th, 1963 ?! Geez ! You don't look your age at all !"

Ahsoka couldn't help but be amused at the bartender's reaction. "What can I say ? Me and my daughter take good care of ourselves. I'll have the same as her."

The bartender didn't waste time getting their drinks. "Here you are ! 12$ for both of you !"

Ahsoka paid and tipped the bartender. They sat near a pool table and took their first sips. "Hey, this spiced rum ain't so bad, Mina. Definitely different from the regular Bacardi."

"It's what I drink the most during university parties. And no, before you even ask, I never did anything out of line. I have been careful and responsible with my drinking. I remember seeing some other girls that did the stupidest things when they had one drink too many… Such as running around bare-chested… Yeah… Let's say it got the boys' attention pretty well !" Mina face-palmed, recalling the embarrassment brought on by the other girls.

When they were about to move on to the pool tables, a man around 40 appeared by Mina. "What's a sweet little thing like you doing in a place like this ?"

Mina rolled her eyes. "I could ask the same thing, except I'd replace "sweet little thing" with "creepy old guy" !" She pointed at her shirt. "You see this shirt ? I'm pretty sure you're not illiterate !"

The man crossed his arms and chuckled at her attempt to brush him off. "All I see are probably some nice titties… I could give you a good time, sweet thing !"

Setting her drink aside, she stood up to him. "You don't seem to get the hint, buddy ! Let's me spell it out for you : I have a boyfriend, get lost !"

"And if I don't ?! Come on, let's get over to that corner and have a bit of fun !"

Ahsoka finally had enough and intervened. "You place one finger on my daughter… and I'll break both of your hands. She has made it clear that she's not interested. So do us all a favor and get out of here before they call security."

The man backed off, seeing the angry Togruta baring her fangs at him. "Ok, ok…. I wasn't serious, ok ?" He ran off like the coward he was.

Mina groaned. "Some people can't take a hint ! I don't see anyone else wanting to try their luck. A game of pool is what I need to calm myself."

Mina walked over to the wall where the cue sticks were stacked and tossed a stick to her mother. "Ever played this before, Mom ?"

"Very briefly, Mina. During our first 8 months here, we sometimes hung around a place that had both pool tables and arcade machines. While your father and I were playing pool (and not being very good at it), others were caught up with Pac-Man and Space Invaders on the arcades. It made for an interesting contrast of activities." Ahsoka grabbed hold of some cue chalk, improving her chances of a good strike. "Who gets to break ?"

Mina took a sip of her drink while holding on to her cue stick. "Go ahead. Remember, we bet earlier than someone would hit on me despite what my shirt has written. So you owe me a drink."

Ahsoka positioned herself at the other edge of the table, placing the white ball a fair distance from the numbered balls gathered in a triangle. As she hit the ball, she managed to not only break successfully, but also managed to have the "5" into one of the end pockets.

"Not bad. So you have the normal ones while I'll be dealing with the striped ones." Mina patiently waited her turn as Ahsoka prepared herself for another strike. The second attempt failed, causing the "1" to ricochet into the opposite direction. "Nice try, but no cigar ! My turn !"

As Mina was looking at her options, the background music switched to a very familiar tune. "Woo hoo ! The "Godzilla" song from Blue Oyster Cult ! I LOVE that song !" Mina began to dance around the pool table with her cue stick, her lekku swinging back and forth.

"Enough dancing, more playing, please !" Ahsoka teased, also joining in the silly dancing.

As Mina focused more on her shot, she managed to get a double-shot, scoring both the "9" and "13" into a side pocket. "See ? Nothing to it !"

Over the duration of their game, Ahsoka was unable to get the upper hand. Mina had much more practice at playing pool and it showed. Once Mina entered the "8", Ahsoka accepted defeat. "You're good ! Before we play another game, do you want your extra drink now ?"

"Sure ! I could go for another Rum & Coke, make sure to ask for Sailor Jerry, huh ? That stuff is phenomenal !"

Ahsoka took a huge gulp of her drink. "The more I taste, the more I prefer this than plain Bacardi, Mina ! You've made me a fan !"

Over the evening, the ladies had played 2 more games before finally retiring to their suite. Their night ended with what remained of their wine as they relaxed in the spa. Having gone through a full bottle of wine and 3 Rum & Coke each at the bar, they were well past the "buzzed" point. Both women went out like a light as they changed in their pajamas and covered themselves for sleep.

 **So the ladies had done plenty of sightseeing, have had a great dinner and ended their evening with their little pool tournament. Over the next chapter, the ladies will reach the State of Tennessee, home of Country Music and the very famous singer, Elvis Presley. Feel free to leave a review.**


	5. For the Love of Country Music

**Monday, May 20th**

Ahsoka was lying on a plastic inflatable raft, just soaking up the sun's rays within the safety of the resort's pool. Moments later, she sat up, realizing her comfy raft happened to be floating deep into the ocean, far from any visible land mass.

She removed her sunglasses, placing them between her montrals. " _Woah, woah, WOAH ! What the Force ?! Moments before, I was in the resort's pool. Now I'm somewhere in the middle of the ocean ?! How did I end up here ?_ "

She looked as far as her eyesight would allow her. The only sound was the crashing of waves in the distance. Looking towards the sky, a rain cloud was slowly moving towards her position. Sitting on her raft, she tried to see underwater. " _Murky waters… Not good. Not good at all…_ "

As the water began to get more and more rough, a particular, unmistakable theme began to play. Ahsoka instinctively huddled herself. " _Oh no ! No no no no no no no ! Not here ! This can't be how I die ! Where is it ? Where is it ?!_ "

As she looked into the distance, a peculiar-looking fin surfaced from underwater, slowly moving towards her location. Her raft was violently rammed into, knocking her into the waters. She dared to look underwater. The White Death, as it was commonly referred to, was coming straight at her. As she tried to swim away, she was taken by surprise as Jaws came in front and opened its teeth-filled mouth to bite off a good chunk out of her.

" _ **NO ! NO ! NO ! NO ! AAAAAAhhhhhhh… !**_ " Ahsoka suddenly woke from her nightmare, bumping her montrals on the headboard. "OUCH !" She felt them, now bruised.

She turned to see Mina, already showered and clothed. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up… I'd guess you were having a bad dream given how you were tossing and turning !"

Ahsoka took a few deep breaths, checking her arms and legs. "Thank the Force, it was but a dream. Don't ask me how, but somehow I ended up in deep ocean on an inflatable raft. And when the weather began to get bad, Jaws showed up and was about to make a meal of out me… That's when I woke up." She huddled herself. "It felt so real, give me chills all over."

Mina snorted a laugh. "Perhaps we'll avoid seafood for the remainder of our trip, huh ?"

Ahsoka nodded weakly. "Please ? I think I know now how all those fish feel when one of those roams around…"

Mina walked over to a small table and helped herself to a cup of coffee. "You know, last night we kind of went overboard with the drinks… I had a slight hangover for about half an hour. A hot shower did help a bit, and this coffee here doesn't hurt in the least. Try standing up ?"

Ahsoka slipped out of the bed, having a slight lack of balance. "Ugh ! I can still taste both rum and wine in my throat ! Yuck !" She made a beeline for the shower. About 15 minutes later, she was drying herself. Only then did she realize she forgot to bring some clothes with her. She popped her head through the door. "Psst ! Mina ! I forgot to bring some panties and a bra in with me. Can you take some from my suitcase, please ?"

Mina giggled at her mother's forgetfulness. "Guess all that booze did a number on ya, huh ? Hold on, let me see here…" She searched through her mother's suitcase. "Got 'em !" She brought the lingerie to her. "Looking at your suitcase, you didn't forget much of anything. There's all sorts of shirts and pants in there too !"

Ahsoka took a moment to think of what to wear. "Can you bring me a shirt and a pair of jeans while you're rummaging in my suitcase, dear ?"

Mina smirked in response. "Might as well. Just a moment. Does blue jeans and a dark grey shirt sound ok to you ?"

Ahsoka nodded. "That's perfect ! Just give me a moment to put them on and we'll head to the dining room for our breakfast."

Moments later, Ahsoka stepped out, fully clothed. "Ok, I'm ready. I wonder what they'll serve ?"

"Most likely the typical breakfast items, Mom. You know, stuff like cereal, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, toasts and fruits. If we're lucky, there could be some pancakes for us !"

Ahsoka licked her lips in anticipation. "Pancakes sounds like they would help me recover from my hangover a good deal. I still have a nagging headache."

Once they arrived at the dining room, a familiar waiter noticed them. "Good morning, ladies ! I trust that wine was pretty good last night, huh ?"

Mina took the table nearest to the buffet. "Yes… Danny, was it ? We loved it a great deal ! Thanks again for the recommendation. Anything in particular we should have for breakfast ?"

Danny pointed to various items in the buffet. "The pancakes are a must-try in my opinion ! Just pour a little bit of maple syrup and it's oh-so heavenly ! And we've also have some flavoured sausages. We have Cheddar & Herbs and Hot Buffalo. The latter may be a bit too much to take unless you're used to eating spicy foods."

Ahsoka grabbed a tray and grabbed a couple of pancakes, several strips of bacon, a couple of eggs and a Cheddar & Herbs sausage. Mina helped herself with a pancake, some eggs, strips of bacon, a Hot Buffalo sausage and some slices of orange and a kiwi fruit.

Several mugs of coffee later, they were ready to check out from their hotel and head back on the road. Once they brought their room key to the receptionist, they had their luggage ready. Once it was placed in the trunk, Ahsoka was about to take the wheel, but Mina felt she wasn't completely recovered. "Don't take it the wrong way, Mom, when I caught a whiff of your breath, there was still a hint of alcohol present. If you don't mind, I'll drive until our next stop, ok ?"

Ahsoka heartily agreed. "Smart thinking, Mina. Wouldn't want a DUI on my record. According to our road, we'll be going through the State of Tennessee at some point during the day. Where should we stop ? Memphis or Nashville ?"

Mina shrugged her shoulders. "I really haven't thought about that, Mom. Nashville is the home of Country Music as we know it, while Memphis has Graceland, Elvis Presley's home."

Ahsoka pulled a quarter from her purse. "Ok, we'll settle this with a coin toss. Heads is Nashville while Tails is Memphis. Ready ?" She twirled the coin in the air, when it fell on the back of her hand, she felt a bit surprised. "Well, what do ya know ? We'll be stopping at… Nashville !"

Mina had immediately chosen a specific activity. "If we're going to be spending the night at Nashville, I think we'll have to see a show at the Grand 'Ole Opry. No ifs, no buts, we're going !"

Ahsoka cupped her chin in thought. "Hmm… A evening's worth of Country ? That'll be a drastic change from all the rock and metal I've heard over the past 20+ years. A bit of change will do me some good after all."

Mina patted her mother on the back. "Way to go, Mom ! I'm so proud of you. I know it's not easy to step out of your usual listening habits. Odds are we'll have a great time !"

Over most of the morning, they traveled through the countryside. At some point, there was a particular odor coming from the fields where cows, horses, sheep and goats grazed. Mina waved her hand in front of her nose. "Whew ! I wonder how long we'll have to endure the smell of manure ! Ugh !"

Ahsoka snorted a laugh. "Hey, that's the good 'ol smell of the countryside, Mina ! Look at it this way, would you rather smell this instead of the smog present in the big city ?"

Some moments later, something else attacked their olfactory senses. "What the kriff ?! All of sudden, it smells like something died ! What is that ?"

The smell caused even Ahsoka to cover her nose. "That, sweetie… would be a skunk roaming somewhere in the countryside. Their smell is quite pungent and travels great distances. Did I ever tell you that I got sprayed in the face by one during the first half-hour following our crash-landing years ago ?"

Mina did a double-take. "You… got sprayed by the a skunk ? You're kidding !"

Ahsoka shook her head. "Nope. I had never seen one before, so I had no idea it was capable of doing that. I had the bright idea of kneeling down to pet it. Your father didn't help me very much. Kept his distance from me until we reached the city limits."

Mina suddenly burst in laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ! I guess you learned the hard way, Mom ! Oh, I would have loved to see your face once you noticed the smell ! Ah ha ha ha !"

Around Noon, they stopped at a local cantine, enjoying a quick lunch of hamburgers and fries. Not the healthiest of options, but it would do. After being full from their meal, they stopped at a rest area further down. Once they began their final leg of their route towards Nashville, Ahsoka thought it would be a great idea to tune in to a country music station.

"Welcome to Country Roadhouse, the station you'll find all of the greatest hits through the ages. Going back in the '50s, we've got classic country singer Patsy Cline, with "Walkin' After Midnight"."

I go out walkin' after midnight  
Out in the moonlight, just like we used to do  
I'm always walkin' after midnight  
Searchin' for you

I walk for miles along the highway  
Well, that's just my way of sayin' I love you  
I'm always walkin' after midnight  
Searchin' for you

I stop to see a weepin' willow  
Cryin' on his pillow  
Maybe he's cryin' for me  
And as the skies turn gloomy  
Night winds whisper to me  
I'm lonesome as I can be

I go out walkin' after midnight  
Out in the starlight, just hoping you may be  
Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight  
Searchin' for me

I stop to see a weepin' willow  
Cryin' on his pillow  
Maybe he's cryin' for me  
And as the skies turn gloomy  
Night winds whisper to me  
I'm lonesome as I can be

I go out walkin' after midnight  
Out in the starlight, just hoping you may be  
Somewhere a-walkin' after midnight  
Searchin' for me

Even Ahsoka enjoyed the song, surprising herself. "That wasn't so bad… Am I to assume most country music would sound similar to this ?"

Mina was quick to educate her mother. "That was how it was done back then, Mom. Now, I'm no expert on country music, but they must have evolved with more rhythm and faster-paced songs."

"Makes me wonder what they'll play next."

"Going a couple of decades in the future, the good 'ol '70s ! Country legend Jerry Reed had worked with Dick Feller to record the famous song for Smokey and The Bandit film : "Eastbound and Down" ! For you fellas on the road, watch yer speedometer ! Yee haw !"

Ahsoka immediately smiled. "Now THIS song I know ! Myself and you father had seen the film during our first year here. I remember laughing so much at all the jokes in the movie ! Ha ha ha !"

East bound and down load it up and truck it  
We gonna do what they say can't be done  
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there  
I'm east bound just watch ol' Bandit run

Keep your foot hard on the pedal son never mind them brakes  
Let it all hang out cause we got a run to make  
The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in Texarkana  
And we'll bring it back no matter what it takes

East bound and down load it up and truck it...

East bound and down load it up and truck it...

Ol' Smokey's got them ears on he's hot on your trail  
He ain't gonna rest till you're in jail  
So you got to dodge 'im and you got to duck 'im  
You got to keep that diesel truckin'  
Just put that hammer down and give it hell

East bound and down load it up and truck it...

During the duration on the song, Ahsoka was tempted to pass all the cars on the highway and honk away just like Snowman (Reed) had done with the trucker caravan. Mina couldn't help from being amused at her mother's silly grin. "Oh, Mom ! Stop being such a goof ! You've already been stopped once for speeding, don't push your luck, huh ?"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Did you really think I was going to pull all those crazy stunts like in the movies ? Do I look like Burt Reynolds to you ?"

"Yeah , that's what I thought ! If we stop somewhere, do you mind if we switch places again ?"

Ahsoka felt a definite Déja-Vu feeling, long ago when she and Anakin were preparing to search out the Malevolence. "Admit it ! You don't like my driving, huh ?"

A groan escaped Mina's throat. "No, no, no ! Your driving is fine, Mom ! It's how you act when influenced by catchy music that worries me !"

Her mother conceded defeat rather quickly. "Ok… if you're so set on doing the remainder of the route, I'll pull over in a moment."

"Like paying for the trip, Mom. We ought to share the task." Mina suggested.

Once Ahsoka pulled over to the side of the road, she slipped over the driver's seat to the back and slithered back to the passenger seat where Mina once stood. Once Mina took the wheel, the drive was even smoother than ever. "Just sit back and relax, Mom. You've done your part of driving for the day. Can you see our progress via the road map ?"

Ahsoka unfolded the map and traced their trajectory with a finger. "Hmm. From the looks of things, if we keep up our speed, we'll reach Nashville within an hour."

"Well then, when we do reach the city limits, we'll try to come upon a low-cost Hotel. Once we've got that done, a quick dinner and we'll go to the Grand 'Ole Opry ! Remember, you promised !"

About an hour later, the ladies finally reached the city limits of Nashville. Their next hour was spent finding an inexpensive Hotel within walking distance from a local restaurant and the Grand 'Ole Opry. While Mina was forced to follow the flow of traffic, she did manage to catch the most important part of the signboard. Tonight's special guest singer would be none other than Dolly Parton.

Mina was unable to hide her excitement. "Dolly Parton ! Woah ! She's a pretty popular singer ! I have little doubt we'll enjoy ourselves !"

Ahsoka cleared her throat. "No booze tonight, huh ? We've gone overboard two nights in a row ! We're not going for a third !"

Mina snorted a laugh. "We'll probably be offered a glass of Whiskey while we see the show. It… would be rude of us to refuse, you know ?"

Ahsoka groaned inwardly. "Likely a shot of Jack Daniels… With Coke, it ain't too bad… On its own… I never got used to the taste…"

Mina shrugged her shoulders. "It's a Sour Mash style, of course you're going to have a hard time taking it straight ! It's an acquired taste like so many things out there. I've tried it… Not my thing."

After having a quick meal of shish-kebabs, they walked over to the Grand 'Ole Opry. As expected, it was packed with people. As they paid their entry fee, they were brought over to a small table and offered both glasses of water and Jack Daniels on ice. Both ladies had trouble taking the whiskey almost neat, so they took their sweet time and sipped little by little.

The announcer walked to the center of the stage. "Welcome, one and all, to tonight's show at the Grand 'Ole Opry ! Without further ado, let's give a warm welcome to Miss… Dolly Parton, everybody !"

As Dolly walked on the stage, everyone applauded her entrance. Many people whistled loudly as well. She immediately took the microphone and took over. "Good evening, loyal and new fans ! I'm so thankful to once again being invited at the Grand 'Ole Opry ! As most of you know, my latest album, Backwoods Barbie, has been my first typical country album release in almost 10 years ! Where has the time gone ? It feels great to be back to my musical roots ! Why don't we start with "Better Get to Livin'", huh ?"

People always comin' up to me and askin'  
"Dolly, what's your secret?  
With all you do, your attitude  
Just seems to be so good  
How do you keep it?"  
Well, I'm not the Dalai Lama, but I'll try  
To offer up a few words of advice.

You better get to livin', givin'  
Don't forget to throw in a little forgivin'  
And lovin' on the way  
You better get to knowin', showin'  
A little bit more concerned about where you're goin'  
Just a word unto the wise  
You better get to livin'.

A girlfriend came to my house  
Started cryin' on my shoulder Sunday evening  
She was spinnin' such a sad tale  
I could not believe the yarn that she was weavin'  
So negative the words she had to say  
I said if I had a violin I'd play.

I said you'd better get to livin', givin'  
Be willing and forgivin'  
Cause all healing has to start with you  
You better stop whining, pining  
Get your dreams in line  
And then just shine, design, refine  
Until they come true  
And you better get to livin'.

Your life's a wreck, your house is mess  
And your wardrobe way outdated  
All your plans just keep on falling through  
Overweight and under paid, under appreciated  
I'm no guru, but I'll tell you  
This I know is true.

You better get to livin', givin'  
A little more thought about bein'  
A little more willin' to make a better way  
Don't sweat the small stuff  
Keep your chin up  
Just hang tough  
And if it gets too rough  
Fall on your knees and pray  
And do that everyday  
Then you'll get to livin'.

The day we're born we start to die  
Don't waste one minute of this life  
Get to livin'  
Share your dreams and share your laughter  
Make some points for the great hereafter.

Better start carin'  
Better start sharin'  
Better start tryin'  
Better start smiling  
And you better get to livin'...

Once she finished her first song, Dolly was already receiving major applause. Even Ahsoka had enjoyed herself. "Gotta hand it to her, Mina. She is _good_!"

Mina scoffed at her mother's initial observation. "Hmph ! Good, you say ? By the end of the show, you'll be a fan ! It's no surprise she's gained so much attention and praise over the years, Mom !"

Dolly gladly accepted a glass of water from a crew member. "Why don't we go back… to one of my first albums… In the Good Old Days, released back in '69 ? Goodness Gracious ! That was almost 40 years ago ! So, we'll go with "Don't Let It trouble Your Mind" !"

Our love affair is bitter sweet  
Insecure and incomplete  
And I've often wondered why your leaving's been so long delayed  
It's all become so complicated  
Maybe you feel obligated  
And out of simpathy for me you stay  
But I had rather live alone  
Than live with someone who doesn't love me  
And I'd rather have you go than stay  
And put me down a thinkin' you're above me  
Our love affair is so wound up  
It's best that we unwind  
And if you don't love me, leave me  
And don't let it trouble your mind

You've waited much too long to leave afraid of how I'd take it  
And I'm deeply touched by your concern but I think I can make it  
It won't be easy for a while but I'll forget in time  
And if you don't love me, leave me and don't let it trouble your mind

I had rather live alone  
Than live with someone who doesn't love me  
And I'd rather have you go than stay  
And put me down a-thinkin' you're above me  
Our love affair is so wound up  
It's best that we unwind  
And if you don't love me, leave me  
And don't let it trouble your mind

Once again, people applauded after her song. She took a moment to think about what to perform next. "An overwhelming majority of us are caught up in a routine of work shifts. I can understand how frustrating it can be for the lot of you. In 1980, with my album 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, I wrote my sentiments about that with… "9 to 5" !"

Tumble outta bed  
And I stumble to the kitchen  
Pour myself a cup of ambition  
And yawn and stretch  
And try to come to life  
Jump in the shower  
And the blood starts pumpin'  
Out on the street  
The traffic starts jumpin'  
The folks like me on the job from 9 to 5

Workin' 9 to 5,  
What a way to make a livin'  
Barely gettin' by  
It's all takin' and no givin'  
They just use your mind  
And they never give you credit  
It's enough to drive you crazy  
If you let it  
9 to 5, for service and devotion  
You would think that I  
Would deserve a fat promotion  
Want to move ahead  
But the boss won't seem to let me  
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me

They let you dream  
Just to watch 'em shatter  
You're just a step  
On the boss-man's ladder  
But you got dreams  
He'll never take away  
You're in the same boat  
With a lotta your friends  
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in  
'N' the tide's gonna turn  
And it's all gonna roll your way

Workin' 9 to 5  
What a way to make a livin'  
Barely gettin' by  
It's all takin' and no givin'  
They just use your mind  
And you never get the credit  
It's enough to drive you crazy  
If you let it  
9 to 5, yeah  
They got you where they want you  
There's a better life  
And you think about it, don't you  
It's a rich man's game  
No matter what they call it  
And you spend your life  
Puttin' money in his wallet

9 to 5, whoa  
What a way to make a livin'  
Barely gettin' by  
It's all takin' and no givin'  
They just use your mind  
And they never give you credit  
It's enough to drive you crazy  
If you let it

9 to 5, yeah  
They got you where they want you  
There's a better life  
And you dream about it, don't you  
It's a rich man's game  
No matter what they call it  
And you spend your life  
Puttin' money in his wallet

Working 9 to 5

Over the remainder of the evening, Ahsoka surprised herself at how much she thoroughly enjoyed Parton's songs. Never had really paid attention to country music in the past, this performance opened her up to a wildly different style of music than what she was used to. As they walked back to the hotel, she had a few of her songs stuck in her head. "Mina, I have to thank you for convincing me to see a country music performance. While it does lack some energy you'd find in a rock concert, it was highly enjoyable regardless."

Mina patted her mother on the back. "Way to go, Mom ! Perhaps you'll see that other genres of music are just as enjoyable/addictive as rock/metal. Once we arrive at Louisiana, I'll try my best to find a place that performs blues music. I have a feeling you'd like that too !"

Ahsoka chuckled lightly. "We'll see, Mina. For now, let's just get ourselves a good night's rest."

Over the next day, they would hope to cross over the State of Mississippi and finally reach Louisiana.

 **How about that ? I bet none of you saw me tossing Dolly Parton into the story. While doing research on the genre's history, I figured she was one of the more popular singers which was still active last I looked. For those of you that are waiting for my next chapter of my Game of Thrones crossover, I'm afraid it will get pushed to the following weekend. The wait will be worth it, trust me. Imagine seeing Olenna Tyrell putting Anakin, Ahsoka, Plo Koon and even Padmé in their place ? Yeah, that'll be interesting. My long time readers ought to catch the many references to my past stories in this chapter easily. And what about that silly Jaws reference at the beginning ? Too awkward ? Anyways, the ladies will soon arrive at Louisiana. Feel free to leave a review.**


	6. The Final Destinations

**Tuesday, May 21st**

For once, Ahsoka was awake before Mina. Even with the sound of the shower running, her daughter didn't wake. As Ahsoka chose her clothes for the day, she found a peculiar item lying on a desk : An Air Horn. A very mischievous thought crossed her mind. " _Well, sweetie, if this doesn't wake you up, NOTHING will !_ "

She quietly tiptoed next to Mina's bed, placing the air horn right next to her right montral. Pressing the release, the loud honk woke Mina with a start, causing her to leap out of bed and onto the rug. "Arrrrrrgghhhhh ! MOM ! Why do you always have to pull these dumb pranks on me ?!"

Ahsoka was on the floor, rolling in laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ! Oh, you should've seen your face ! That was priceless ! Ah ha ha ha ha !"

Mina stormed over to the bathroom, grumbling. "Who's bright idea was it anyways to leave a kriffing air horn in a hotel room ?! Ugh, the stupidity of some people !"

As Mina stepped out of the bathroom, now showered, her mother turned to her. "Still angry ?"

"Less… You know I _hate_ it when you wake me by surprise ? Why do you insist on going through with those pranks ?"

Ahsoka snickered. "It's your reaction that makes it worthwhile, Mina ! It never fails to get you out of bed in a flash !"

Mina narrowed her eyes towards her mother. "Yeah, yeah, yeah ! Laugh it up now ! I'll get back at you in some way… before this trip is over."

Ahsoka brushed off Mina's attempts to sound threatening. "Pffft ! Pranking isn't your style ! I highly doubt you'll be able to get me good !"

Mina crossed her arms, unfazed. "Mmm hmm. Keep telling yourself that. When you see me laughing at you, you'll know that your daughter did indeed managed to prank you good !"

Ahsoka shrugged her shoulders. "We'll see. Enough about that, let's get ourselves some breakfast. Would eggs, bacon and toasts suit your fancy, Mina ?"

Mina checked her spending money in her wallet. "Don't forget the coffee, huh ? We'll need to be alert since I would expect traffic to still be fairly hectic on the highway."

A proverbial lightbulb appeared over Ahsoka's head. "If we want to save time, we can eat on the 'go. Say we grab a breakfast sandwich plus a coffee at the next Subway we come across ?"

Thinking about the meal, Mina's stomach began to growl. "Hmm… Yes. A sausage and egg sandwich would be real nice right about now. A hot coffee would also really get me going now, Mom."

"Subway it is, then. I think a bacon and egg sandwich would do me nicely." They gathered their luggage, brought the key to the receptionist and made a beeline towards the car.

As the ladies stood by the front doors, Mina took out a quarter from her purse. "This time, we'll decide who drives with a coin toss. Heads is me while Tails will be you. Ready ?" Mina flipped the coin in the air. "Tails, huh ? Ok. Just promise me you won't act silly while driving."

Ahsoka motioned to Mina to take the passenger seat. "If I do anything out of line, the wheel is yours, how does that sound ?"

Mina smirked. "Fair enough. Ok, we've wasted a couple of minutes just arguing. Let's get going ! Louisiana, here we come !"

Several minutes later, they managed to find a Subway restaurant as they were slowly exiting Nashville to the exit in the South part of the city. Several hours later, they entered the State of Mississippi.

Mina tracked their travels on the road map. "Going directly South, we should come across Tupelo, we keep going straight down to Meridian, then we turn West, going in and past Jackson, further West to Vicksburg and we reach the State limits of Louisiana. If we keep going at a steady speed, perhaps we'll reach our final destination in early evening."

Ahsoka nodded. "Ok, so we'll stop only when we have to, such as restroom breaks and when we'll need to fill up on gas. We will eventually, the meter shows that we're more than half-empty !"

"Hopefully, the gas station we stop at has a small snack section so we could grab some sandwiches, juice/soda and chocolate/chips while we're there." Mina suggested.

"Yeah, I get the feeling that by the time we get back home, Mina, we'll have a fair amount of pounds to lose. It's a good thing your father bought that indoor bike for burning up those excess calories. That and all the weights and other fitness devices really helped me keep my shape over the years."

Mina felt her stomach. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to actually use those if I want to remain slim and good-looking, huh ?"

"A few hours a day is more than enough, Mina. And if you prefer to do exercises with music, you can't go wrong with most songs from the Rocky movies, such as "Gonna Fly Now", "Eye of The Tiger" and "Hearts on Fire" to name a few."

Mina giggled all of a sudden. "Thanks for the mental imagery, Mom. Now, I see you working out in a gym, muscles all over you. Nahhh… That ain't you. You're slim and pretty !"

Ahsoka snorted a laugh. "Oh, I wouldn't be winning any body-building contests, that's for sure ! A swimsuit contest tho… That I believe I have really good chances of getting a decent score."

Mina turned towards her mother. "Now there's an idea ! If we come across a public beach, why don't we stroll around for fun ? I wonder how many heads we'll turn ?"

"Enough to cause many to have sore necks, no doubt ! I think that our montrals and lekku will add a bit of exoticism to our outfits… Let's do it ! To give the men their money's worth, we'll go with the 2-piece bikinis which we wore, when we relaxed in that hot tub back at the Washington D.C. hotel suite."

Mina face-palmed. "You realize we'll garner a _lot_ of unneeded attention this way, right ?"

Ahsoka scoffed. "Heh, if they push their luck, you know all-too well _where_ to hit to bring any man down, right ?"

Mina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Hopefully, people will be smart enough to not try to hit on us."

As they arrived at a gas station, Mina went shopping for snacks and drinks while Ahsoka filled up the car's fuel tank. Minutes later, they were on the way towards Tupelo. During early afternoon, Ahsoka had a ham sandwich while driving, Mina, on the other hand, had chosen a smoked meat sandwich, complete with the mandatory slice of pickle. Over the course of the afternoon, Ahsoka kept a sharp eye on the passing traffic. Being in a 4 lane highway, large trucks passed them, along with a myriad of speed demons. By 4:30 PM, they had gone through the busy city of Jackson, the State's capital.

Mina raised an eye marking. "We're not stopping for dinner ?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "Not until we reach the State of Louisiana. We're making good time, we can't stop now. We'll stop at the first major city of Louisiana, which is Tallulah. We'll check in at a cheap motel and spend the night. Tomorrow morning, we'll explore the State some more. Sounds like a plan ?"

"And where exactly will we end our trip at ?" Mina queried.

Ahsoka thought of possible destinations for a moment. "Well… we could check out Baton Rouge, the State's capital. However, if you want to hit the beach, New Orleans is the place to go."

A proverbial lightbulb appeared over Mina's head. "New Orleans, huh ? Hopefully by now, they've mostly recovered from the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Katrina back in '05. Besides visiting the city, trying out Cajun cuisine and trying out my French, there are two other things that suddenly came to mind…"

Ahsoka titled her head towards Mina, always keeping her eyes on the road. "What else do you want to do, Mina ? You only need to ask, you know."

"We'll have to attend a Jazz performance and I really, really, REALLY would love taking a tour on an actual steamboat, just _because_!"

Ahsoka made a mental checklist. "And I was expecting much more. That's it ? Not a problem, Mina. We'll do those things. Besides, it would open me up to yet another style of music I never really paid attention to over the years."

Mina reached out and gently hugged her mother, careful not to distract her from her driving. "Thanks, Mom ! I have a feeling we'll have a blast at New Orleans ! This is going to be a trip to remember !"

Ahsoka cleared her throat. "Yes. Once we get back, I don't want you lounging around all summer. Show the example to your brother and get another job. It doesn't matter what, just keep busy and get your finances back into gear, you hear me ?"

Mina slumped slightly into her seat. "Darn it ! I was hoping I could relax a bit more…"

Ahsoka gasped. "Mina Padmé Bonteri ! You've been relaxing since we left ! You will get back to-" Suddenly, Ahsoka's cellphone began to ring. "Do you mind taking the call ?"

"I got it." Mina picked up the phone and placed the receiver to her right montral. "Hello ?"

"Hey, sis ! 'Sup ?"

"Oh hey, Dan ! We're on the highway in West Mississippi, we've passed Jackson and we're heading towards Vicksburg. What's happening ?"

"Not a lot. Things are pretty quiet. I'm just calling to let you know that your university exams have been graded."

Suddenly, Mina felt slightly worried. "Good results ?"

Daniel hesitated to answer. "…Well… you've got…"

"For Force's Sake, Dan ! Spit it out !"

Daniel could be heard snickering from the other end. "Ok, ok… You've got the highest marks along with Trav ! So you guys are slated to begin your final year of Accounting around early September ! Congrats, sis !"

Mina breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Force ! That's a load off my shoulders. I've been thinking about it since we began our trip. Anything else ?"

"Dad wants to say that he misses you and Mom. Drive safely, huh ?"

Mina snorted a laugh. "We've been gone for only 4 days and he already misses Mom ? Hoo boy !"

Ahsoka titled again to Mina. "Mina, tell your brother to tell your father that I miss him too ! We're hoping to be back home in a week and a half from now."

"You got that, Dan ? Tell Dad that Mom misses him too… and that we'll be back by the weekend after this one."

"Gotcha ! We'll see you guys later ! Enjoy what remains of your trip, sis !"

"Thanks, Dan. It was real nice of you to let me know about the exam results, really appreciated ! We'll call later, bye !"

"Ciao !" Daniel hung up.

Around 3 hours later, they entered the State of Louisiana and stopped at Tallulah. They stopped to eat at a Burger King. As they stepped out of the car, they stretched themselves from sitting in their seats for so long.

"So, what are you getting ?" Mina reached in her purse for her wallet.

"Just a plain 'ol Whopper will do. You'll get my veggies, btw."

Mina licked her lips. "Extra onions, tomatoes and pickles. Can't go wrong with that ! I believe I'll have the same to make things simple for the clerk." She checked her watch. "Woah, it's already 8 in the evening !" She walked over to the counter, where a girl about Lydia's age stood, waiting to take orders.

"Welcome to Burger King, may I take your order ?"

Mina pointed to the menu. "A couple of Whoppers, please ?"

"Just the sandwich or the combo ?"

"Combo, please. And make it two root beers as beverage." Mina reached for a 20$ bill in her wallet.

"Ok… so it comes to a total of… 15.98$."

Mina placed the bill on the counter. "Keep the change."

As Mina waited for the burgers to get ready, Ahsoka took a table for the two and waited. There were also two elderly people sitting not too far from her. They couldn't help themselves from staring at her unusual appearance.

Minutes later, Mina arrived with their meals. "Here we are, one Whopper, one small fry and a root beer for ya !"

"Thanks, sweetie." She reached into her burger, taking out the onions, tomato slice and pickles and passed them over to her daughter. "Enjoy !"

"Oh, I will !" As Mina took a bite, something came to mind. "Why is it that I can eat everything ? Don't vegetables and fruits cause discomfort when eaten by Togrutas ?"

Ahsoka came to the most logical explanation. "Well, for one, you're not 100% Togruta. So you've likely inherited a Human's stomach, getting it from your father. Actually, both you and your brother have been "blessed" in this fashion."

Mina smirked at her mother's simple explanation. "You don't say, Captain Obvious."

15 minutes later, they were done and walked back to the car. Within 10 minutes' worth of a drive, they came upon a cheap motel. Since it was only 125$ for a night, Mina gladly paid for it.

As they entered their room, something stirred in their stomachs. Ahsoka placed her suitcase on the bed in haste. "Perfect timing ! I'll be in the bathroom for a little while."

Mina also felt slightly uncomfortable. "Try to be quick about it, huh ? I gotta go in there too !"

"Give me 5 minutes, tops !" Ahsoka raced to the bathroom. Once she stepped out, she definitely looked relieved. "That went better than I expected. Oh, by the way, there's no fan in there, so good luck !"

Mina face-palmed. "Of course, I can always count on you to stink things up ! Ugh, fine ! Here I go !"

The moment Mina closed the door, she had to express her discomfort. "Whew ! Smells like something died in here !"

Ahsoka crossed her arms, slightly insulted. "Hey ! Are you trying to tell me that _you_ smell like roses ?!"

"By comparison, probably !" Mina snapped in haste.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "You're impossible sometimes, you know that ?"

"Note to self : Bring some air fresheners along for the ride." Mina muttered.

Several minutes later, Mina finally stepped out. "Phew ! Glad I'm outta there ! I think I'll leave a window open overnight to let the air circulate. Ok with you, _Stinky_?"

Ahsoka shook her head several times, her eyes rolling in their sockets. "You really need work on those comebacks, Mina. They're terrible !"

"At least, I try !"

Suddenly, both women erupted in laughter. Ahsoka dried a tear from her left eye. "Oh, sweetie. It seems we have a knack for getting ourselves worked over nothing, don't we ?"

Mina hopped on her bed, snickering. "Yep ! I don't know why I fuss over a lot of silly things…"

"You got it from me, no doubt. I worried a lot over the simplest of things over the years. Eventually, I've learnt to take things as they go. You should too…"

"Should I nickname you "Fussy" then ?" Mina joked.

Ahsoka chuckled. "I already have a nickname, Mina. It's "Snips". Long ago, when I was still a Jedi… let's say the meeting between myself and Master Skywalker didn't go very smoothly. I had a tendency to talk back… sometimes getting me into trouble for it."

She remembered her first meeting on Christophsis.

Anakin met up with Rex. "What's the status, Rex ?"

"Everything is clear so far, sir. But they're probably planning another attack." Rex noticed her. "Who's the Youngling ?"

She casually introduced herself. "I'm Master Skywalker's Padawan. The name's Ahsoka Tano."

Rex turned back to Anakin, stunned. "Sir, I thought you'd said you'd never have a Padawan…"

"There's been a mix-up, the Youngling isn't with me."

Ahsoka flared up. "Stop calling me that ! You're stuck with me, Skyguy !"

Rex chuckled at her nickname. Anakin wasn't amused. "What did you call me ?! Don't get snippy with me, little one. You know, I don't even think you're old enough to be a Padawan !"

"Well maybe I'm not ! But Master Yoda thinks I am !" She looked at him with a smug on her face."

Anakin quickly regained control. "Well, you're not with Master Yoda now ! So if you're ready, you better start proving it ! Captain Rex will show you how a little respect can go a long way."

"Uh… S-sir ?" Rex stammered, completely not expecting an extra charge. "Come along, Youngling."

"Padawan." Ahsoka muttered between her teeth.

Later, the group of Ahsoka, Anakin, Rex and Obi-Wan were discussing how to deal with an upcoming energy field. Ahsoka came up with the appropriate solution. "If that shield is such a problem, why not just take it down ?"

Anakin cleared his throat. "For once, I agree with her."

Obi-Wan motioned to the two. "Perhaps you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together."

Ahsoka was eager to prove herself. "Can do, Master Kenobi !"

"I'll decide on what we do… and if we survive this, Snips, you and I are going to have a talk !"

Once the memory had played itself out, a tear slid from Ahsoka's eye, down her cheek, to fall on the carpeted floor. She still couldn't believe her Master had become the monster she faced at Times Square almost 8 years ago.

Mina felt her mother's emotions. "He was a good guy before, huh ? I would've never guessed that that cyborg I fought around for 2 minutes was the same person. What happened ?"

"I'm afraid I'll never know exactly _why_ he turned evil, Mina. I only hope he'll redeem himself in some way… eventually."

Mother and Daughter hugged each other, trying to shake off the bad memories. Eventually, fatigue caught up with them and soon went to sleep. Tomorrow, they would travel South-East to New Orleans, to experience a myriad of new things.

 **So they finally reached the State of Louisiana. How will the rest of the trip go ? You'll find out in the next chapter. How did you guys enjoy that flashback from the Clone Wars Movie ? I know that after having seen the Season 2 Finale of Rebels, it's still hard to go back to Clone Wars knowing how their eventual duel went. I'd say that I'm 90+% sure that Ahsoka survived through some miracle, but the shocking revelation that Darth Vader is indeed Anakin Skywalker likely broke her heart. We'll see in Season 4. Please review.**


	7. Welcome to New Orleans

**Wednesday, May 22nd**

Ahsoka slowly rose out of bed. She was making a beeline towards the bathroom when Mina stepped out, showered and draped in a towel.

"Mornin', Mom."

"Good morning, sweetie… Is it safe to go in there ?" She pointed at the door, an eye marking raised.

Mina rolled her eyes. "I took a shower, Mom. Nothing more. The only smell you'll find there, is of soap."

Ahsoka smirked. "Just askin'." She went to take a shower at her turn. By the time she was done, Mina was clothed and drinking from a water bottle.

"So, what's our itinerary today, Mom ?"

"Pack everything up and we'll check out the map in the car, ok ?"

Mina pulled both suitcases into the trunk while Ahsoka returned the key to the motel owner. As she climbed into the driver's seat, she took hold of the map. "Let's see here… We're currently at Tallulah, the quickest way to reach New Orleans would be taking the road that borders the State of Mississippi, so we'll pass by the city of Natchez, Bogalus and Pearl River before reaching our destination."

Mina gazed at the map. "How long do you think it could take us to get there ?"

"A full day's worth of driving is ahead of us, Mina. Like always, we'll only stop for lunch and restroom breaks." She started the car, slowly moving towards the highway.

They stopped at a gas station in mid-morning. While Mina went to get some snacks and drinks, her mother waited patiently. While waiting, she heard the loud rumbling of a Bigfoot truck engine, coming in for likely a replenishment of much needed fuel. She looked to her left and saw the enormous vehicle parking itself next to her. " _Look at the size of that thing ! Must cost a fortune to run ! So I'd wager there is a Monster Truck Rally going on in the area…_ "

The driver needed a few steps to climb down from the 10-foot tall gap between the ground and the tip of his extra-large tires. Mina couldn't help but feel tiny as she walked around it on her way out.

She climbed in, looking surprised and excited as she recognized the unique looking vehicle. "Holy Shit ! That's… That's… "Rap Attack", owned and driven by Dave Rappach ! That truck is infamous for being so loud in shows and events."

Ahsoka scratched her montrals. "So I've heard… There must be one heck of an engine in there !" She saw the driver stepping out with soda and chips. "I was sure he was stopping by for refueling. I don't know about you, but I don't fancy getting ourselves crushed by accident, so we'll let it take off. How do you know about this truck anyways ?"

As it left, the engine roared as it rolled towards the main highway. Mina did well to cover her montrals like her mother. "That was a few years back, when Dan & I were bored out of our skulls. We were channel-surfing and we came upon a segment of that truck racing around and rolling over demolished cars in an arena. But what is it with people and loud engines ?! I know that lots of people go to see these rallies, but do they really have to make so much noise ?"

Ahsoka thought of a probable comparison. "Well, you remember when I took you to see King Diamond and Ozzy Osbourne in Fall '95 ? It was pretty loud, right ? I guess the overall loudness creates excitement in people. And there are some out there that _love_ hearing those engines roar as loudly as possible. Burt dreams of taking part in a rally at some point, he's just slowly gathering the necessary parts to build his own custom Monster Truck."

Mina turned to her, her face in a look of shock. "I could tell that Mr. Blank likes big trucks, but a Monster Truck ? That's a new one. Heh, maybe Travis would take part in that too, it wouldn't be out of place. I mean, he basically grew up around the garage. Surely, you have fixed a couple of Monster Trucks over the years, Mom ?"

"As a matter of fact, I did, Mina. It was a rare opportunity to work on those engines. I needed the tallest ladder to reach the engine. It's pretty intimidating when it's your first. There's a LOT to work on."

As they took the highway, Ahsoka decided to pop in a CD for a change. "Does Blue Oyster Cult suit your fancy, Mina ?"

"Sure, but please don't play "Don't Fear (The Reaper)", that song always gets airtime on classic rock radio channels." Mina suggested.

Ahsoka chuckled at her daughter's preferences. "I can agree with you, Mina. So, what song do _you_ want to hear the most ?"

Mina cupped her chin in thought. "Hmm… Well, it's no secret that I love "Godzilla", "Astronomy" and "Goin' through the Motions"… You know what ? You want to put me in a real good mood ? Then play "Burnin' for You" !"

Ahsoka skipped the songs until she reached that one. "Ask, and you shall receive, sweetie."

Home in the valley  
Home in the city  
Home isn't pretty  
Ain't no home for me

Home in the darkness  
Home on the highway  
Home isn't my way  
Home I'll never be

Burn out the day  
Burn out the night  
I can't see no reason to put up a fight  
I'm living for giving the devil his due

And I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you  
I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you

Time is the essence  
Time is the season  
Time ain't no reason  
Got no time to slow

Time everlasting  
Time to play B–sides  
Time ain't on my side  
Time I'll never know

Burn out the day  
Burn out the night  
I'm not the one to tell you what's wrong or what's right  
I've seen suns that were freezing and lives that were through

But I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you  
I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you

Burn out the day  
Burn out the night  
I can't see no reason to put up a fight  
I'm living for giving the devil his due

And I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you  
I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you  
I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you  
I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you

Once the song ended, Mina came to a realization. "Ok, these aren't "happy" lyrics, but you have to admit the song _is_ good !"

"I can't argue with that, Mina. This is classic rock at its finest ! The beat is good, those guitar solos are sick and the most important part is that we enjoy the song and music, regardless of lyrical content."

Mina happily nodded. "Well, you've played a song of my choice, it's only fair that we play one of yours…"

Ahsoka raised an eye marking, pleased. "Oh ? Well then, in that case… I'll choose… "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" !"

Mina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I saw that coming a mile away. Yet I can't argue with your pick, it's a _good_ song."

Ahsoka scoffed. "Good song ? Don't you mean great song instead ?"

Mina shook her head. "Just play the song already, will ya ?"

Come on come on thru the stations of night  
Come on come on everybody's waiting  
Come on come on with the signal in sight  
Come on come on there's a new tune playing

Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
But who will rock with you  
Oh woman with you

Come on come on thru the cities of night  
Come on come on everybody's praying  
Come on come on for the wonder of light  
Come on come on there's a new dance breaking

Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
But who will rock with you  
Oh woman with you

I ain't gonna catch those countdown blues  
I ain't gonna catch those countdown blues  
I only love to be born again  
I only love to be born again  
I only love to be born again

Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am  
Are you ready to rock?  
Yes I am

"I'll admit, it's not my favorite, Mom. It's still pretty good. Can I pick one more before we switch CDs ?"

Ahsoka kept her focus on the road. "You know the album as well as I do, Mina. Get to the track that you want to hear."

Mina took over the CD controls and skipped several more tracks to reach hers.

As it began, Ahsoka wasn't surprised. "You never get tired of hearing Godzilla, do you ?"

Mina only smirked at her mother. "Nope."

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound  
He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

Helpless people on a subway train  
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

He picks up a bus and he throws it back down  
As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

Oh no, they say he's got to go go go Godzilla  
Oh no, there goes Tokyo go go Godzilla

History shows again and again  
How nature points up the folly of men

Mina was basically dancing in her seat as the song played, much to Ahsoka's annoyance. Over the remainder of their travels until they reached New Orleans, they went through various songs by Judas Priest, Dio, King Diamond, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Boston and finally Black Sabbath.

Since Mina had bought sandwiches at the gas station where they saw "Rap Attack", they ate on the road. Thankfully, Mina was ever conscious of her mother's diet, so she bought a plain chicken sandwich for her, which only had mayonnaise instead of veggies. Mina, on her end, had bought a club sandwich, which had chicken, bacon, mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce, salt and pepper.

Around 7 PM, they finally reached the city limits of New Orleans.

Mina stretched and yawned in her seat. "That was a long ride, Mom. Let's find a hotel so that we can have a rest. I'm out of energy, despite the obvious fact that I basically sat here for the past… 9 hours ?"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and shook her head. "'Kids" these days…"

"Hey ! That was mean !"

"Well, it's true ! I did all the work, I stood alert during the entire drive ! You just stood there, enjoying the music, drinking soda and eating chips."

"What else was I to do, Mom ? I'm not Dan, you know, I wouldn't pop out a portable game console to pass the time ! And you know what ? I didn't even bother to bring a book… Wow ! That ain't like me at all !"

"You were so caught up in the music that you didn't even pay attention to the road."

Mina shrugged her shoulders. "Why would I ? I trust your judgement, Mom. More than Dad's, if that tells you anything…"

Ahsoka face-palmed. "Your father is not _that_ bad a driver and you know it !"

Mina snorted a laugh. "Remember when you were about to give birth to Dan ? I remember you yelling at Dad when he crossed a red light by accident. All I saw was a garbage truck passing behind us. At the time, I was way too young to realize that we could have been killed !"

"We were in a rush, Mina. I forgave him afterwards. He has been careful since."

They finally arrived at a cheap hotel. Since Mina had paid the night before, Ahsoka took the responsibility this time.

As they entered their designated room, both ladies took a moment to just sit down and take a break.

Mina looked around the room. "At least, we have a TV. And look here ! We have a basket of "goodies" !"

Ahsoka's curiosity was piqued. "So, what do we have this time ?"

"Hershey Chocolate Bars, Kettle-Cooked Chips, and a 12 pack of Miller ! Woah !"

Ahsoka was pleased. "Kettle-Cooked Chips ? Those are _dangerously_ addictive, you know ? And we can't go wrong with Miller. A beer I'll take over Budweiser and Coors any day of the week !"

Both ladies reached for a cold beer after their long road trip. Ahsoka raised her bottle. "Here's to a successful trip between the two of us."

Mina raised hers. "So… we'll hit the beach at some point tomorrow ?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Yes, we have our bikinis. No doubt we'll turn a LOT of heads during our time there. I mean, how many people in this planet have seen a Togruta, let alone a Half-Togruta ?"

Mina raised an eye marking. "Is 0 a good bet ?"

"Well… I wouldn't say 0, Mina. Odds are, someone will recognize me from my appearance on the Conan 'O Brien show."

Mina began to giggle incessantly. "Let's hope they won't ask silly questions like he did, huh ?"

"And remember to bring our T-Shirts along, we don't want all those men trying to hit on us, huh ?"

Mina quickly looked into her suitcase for her specific T-Shirt. "Thank the Force, it's here. Yeah, Travis wouldn't be happy if he knew that other men tried to make a pass at me."

Ahsoka searched into her suitcase. "Mine's here. Hopefully, people will clue in and see that you're my daughter, so they'll know that I obviously have a husband."

Suddenly, a thought hit Mina. "Oh ! In order to practice my French, we ought to visit the French Quarter. I've heard there is a really nice Coffee Shop called "Café du Monde"."

"We'll check it out around mid-morning, ok ? A coffee and a donut would make a nice semi-breakfast." Ahsoka suggested.

Both ladies drank a couple of beers each and ate half of their bag of chips before calling it a night.

 **So now they have finally reached New Orleans. While there, they'll not only try their hand at French and see how many heads they'll turn at the beach, they'll also try some Cajun cuisine, Mina will get her wish to take a ride on an actual steamboat and they'll attend a Jazz performance. Expect some surprises here and there. Was the inclusion of "Rap Attack" a bit too random ? I was just looking at various YouTube videos and ended up there for some reason or other. I can see why many enjoy those shows. Those Bigfoot trucks are impressive. And of course, I couldn't pass up some lovin' for Blue Oyster Cult. Feel free to leave a review.**


	8. Meeting Cajuns and hitting the Beach

**Thursday, May 23rd**

Mina was the first to wake up as usual. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she grabbed a handful of chips for a quick snack. Being kettle cooked, they had a highly crunchy texture, making noise when she munched. It wasn't long until Ahsoka woke as well.

"Morning, Mina. I didn't think there were some chips left. I told you they were addictive, didn't I ?" She walked over to the bag and helped herself with a handful as well.

Mina reached into her suitcase for a new pair of panties and a bra. "I'm going to go take my shower… Do you need to use the toilet before I go ?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Just a quick pee. Give me a moment." Moments later, she came out. "Ok, she's all yours."

As Mina took her shower, Ahsoka looked around their hotel room. She found a pamphlet with info about the more popular tourist attractions. She looked for anything about the beach. "Gulfport Beach ? An hour and 20 minutes drive away from the city ? Darn it ! I was hoping we'd have something right here. We'll see what Mina says when she comes out of the shower."

15 minutes later, Mina stepped out and shuffled through her clothes. "You look a bit bummed, Mom. What's wrong ?"

She handed her the pamphlet. "I was wrong to assume that there were beaches within New Orleans, Mina. They're all around the city instead. The closest one is about an hour and a half worth of driving. Do you still want to go ?"

"Of course ! An hour and half of driving is nothing ! I want to soak up some sun this afternoon. But, given it's 8:45 now, if you go take your shower now, we might make our tour of the French Quarter before Noon." Mina looked into her suitcase and found her old French notes. "These could come in handy… in case I get a brain fart."

While Ahsoka took her shower, Mina prepared her spending money for the morning. She only brought a 100$ bill with her.

20 minutes later, they were walking on the streets and found their way thanks to a kind, elderly gentleman whom explained their path. Passing through Decatur Street, they finally found their first point of interest : The renowned coffee shop named Café du Monde. Both ladies were decked out in T-shirts and jeans. Aside their montrals and lekku, they didn't look so different from the majority of tourists coming and going.

They took a small table to themselves. Within minutes, a waitress came up to them.

"Allo ! C'est tu pas beautiful c'te morning içitte ?"

Mina racked her brain to remember how to say the words. "Bonjour ! Oui, c'est beau ! Beau matin, hein ?"

"Quel sorte de coffee on prend, ma gorgeous ?"

Mina thought for a moment. "Euh… J'entends que votre Café au lait est très bon. Je suis certaine que ma mère voudrait bien goûter aussi."

The waitress wrote down the details on her notepad. "C'est perfect, ça ! Est-ce qu'on prend un little donut avec ça ?"

Ahsoka caught on to some of the words. "Vos avez donut… chocolate ?"

The waitress seemed quite excited over the casual conversation. "How nice ! Maman essaie de parler French ? C'est cool ! Vous aimez le chocolat, sweetie ? On en a de toutes sortes de flavours ! On a du Belgian, du Danish, du German… on en a même de Switzerland ! Celle-là est vraiment delicious !"

Ahsoka licked her lips in anticipation. "Switzerland makes great chocolate ! I'll try that ! Merci !"

She turned her attention back to Mina. "Et toi, beautiful ? Quel kind of donut on prend ?"

"Un donut bien ordinaire, s'il-vous-plait ? Euh… sucré, bien sûr !"

"All righty then ! Ça sera pas vraiment long ! J'va revenir dans un flash !" The waitress left off to pick their orders.

Ahsoka tilted towards Mina. "Friendly girl, isn't she ? She seems to really take a liking to you ? What do you think ?"

Mina's lekku darkened for a moment. "I'd say it's either that she's just really friendly… or that she has a thing for other women…"

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "You mean… ?"

"She could be a lesbian. Not that I'll ask her about it, though. Not my business to know."

"You certainly have good judgement, Mina. You know the old saying… "Curiosity kills the cat.""

The waitress arrived with their drinks and snack. "Here we are ! Café au lait and un nice donut ! Bon appétit !"

The moment Ahsoka popped a piece of donut in her mouth, she felt immediate bliss. "Now that's chocolate ! Tasty !"

Mina sipped on her coffee. "Woah ! Coffee is actually really bitter ! What's that taste ? I know this !"

Ahsoka took a sip of hers. "Ugh ! Hold on, let me try something here." She took another sip and followed with a bite of the donut. "The sweetness of the donut offsets the bitterness, thankfully."

Mina remembered. "Chicory root ! That's it ! And you're right, having a bite of the donut afterwards does make it less unpleasant."

Following the quick meal, they paid and tipped the waitress generously. They walked around until they arrived at Bourbon Street, which had some interesting 18th Century style architecture. They happened to notice a middle-aged man sitting on a wooden stool, painting something.

Mina, ever curious, decided to take a peek at the man's work. Noticing her, he grabbed her hand. "Wait, ma belle amour ! Would you want me to draw your portrait with your Maman ?"

Mina turned to her mother. "He asking if he could paint a portrait of us. Do we go for it ?"

"Ok… like… is it ok if we stand in front of that shop's window ?" Ahsoka dragged Mina in front of a confectionery.

The man gave his thumbs up. "Beautiful ! Restez-là pour maybe 10-15 minutes, please ?"

They stood patiently as he painted their portrait in haste. 15 minutes later, he made the last touches. "Ah oui ! A masterpiece si je dis bien ! Regarder ! C'est good, non ?"

Ahsoka was easily impressed. "Wow ! That's actually quite good for something done so quickly ! How much would we owe you ?"

"Give me 20$ pis j'va être ben happy !" Ahsoka, feeling generous, gave him 25$.

He gave his approval by giving his thumbs up. "Hey, vous êtes des cool cats, vous autres ! Merci, merci, merci !"

As they walked further back towards their hotel, Mina elbowed her mother. "I thought you wanted to help me practice my French ?"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Mina, I haven't spoken it in over 10 years ! I only know the bare basics of the language. I'd have trouble following through even a casual conversation."

Mina groaned. "Ugh, fine ! We'll head out for the beach after a quick lunch, ok ?"

"Ok, so we'll spend the majority of the afternoon there to make it worth our while." Ahsoka already began to imagine the horde of men that would gather towards them the moment they enter the beach.

After a quick lunch, the ladies gathered their beach-related items. Mina looked around where toothpaste, deodorant and other items were gathered. "Hold up ! We don't have any sunscreen ? I wager the sun will be especially hot, certainly in the middle of the afternoon."

Ahsoka snorted a laugh. "Have you ever seen me use sunscreen, sweetie ? Where I come from, Shili, it's a lot warmer than over here… We never used anything to protect ourselves from the sun's rays. We've adapted to the climate accordingly. That would probably explain why our skin tone is so pronounced. Don't worry about it, you'll be fine."

Mina shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, if you say so. If I do get sunburns, I'll know that I'm not unaffected to the rays as you are."

Both ladies raced over to the car. "So, in an hour and a half from now, how many men do you think will be staring at us ?"

"All of them, with little doubt. I don't have a thing for women, but you must be one of the most beautiful I've ever seen in my life. Makes me glad I inherited that beauty from you."

As Ahsoka started the car, her cellphone rang.

"Well, what do you know ? Your father is calling. Do you mind driving while I chat with him ?"

Mina was always pleased to take the wheel. "Move over, then."

As they switched places, Ahsoka answered her phone. "Hello ! How are you, love ?"

"'Soka. It feels wonderful to hear your voice again. How are you enjoying yourself with Mina ?"

"So far, so good. We're heading out a bit off of New Orleans to spend an afternoon at Gulfport Beach."

"Oh, hitting the beach are you, huh ? I can guess any man present will turn their gaze towards you two ! By the way, you've missed a very important call."

Ahsoka felt anxious at those words. "What did I miss ? Tell me !"

"Hugh Hefner called. He was wondering if you were interested to pose for the next edition of Playboy Magazine !"

Her eyes almost leapt of their sockets. "WHAT ?! Oh, come on Lux ! Is this your idea of a sick joke ?!"

Seconds pass. Uncontrollable laughter followed. "Ha ha ha ha ha ! Admit it ! I _had_ you there for a second !"

She face-palmed. "Do you honestly think I'd show off to millions of people for some amount of money ? Honey, the privilege of seeing me… in my natural glory… is _yours_ and _yours alone_ !"

"Phew ! That's a relief ! So you wouldn't do it… not even for a million ?"

"NO ! I wouldn't sell myself like that. It's just not me."

Lux cleared his throat. "Right. Anyways, things are fairly quiet over here. We're keeping things tidy as best as we can. You'll never guess what me and Dan did the other day…"

Ahsoka scratched her montrals. "Ok… humor me. What did you two do ?"

"Out of total boredom… we began… Spring Cleaning ! We've already gone through the bedrooms upstairs and we plan to do the bathroom next to the master bedroom this afternoon."

"Spring cleaning ? Really ? Wow, you two must really be bored to do something like that ! Well then, when we get back, we can work together and do the lower floor. It'll be done for yet another year."

"That sounds fine to me, 'Soka. We'll be looking forward to your return. Drive safely, now."

"We will. You guys enjoy your Spring cleaning session. We'll talk later. Love you, bye !"

As Ahsoka turned off her cellphone, Mina tilted towards her mother. "What did he tell you before the Spring cleaning bit ?"

"Heh, it was a lame joke about me getting a call from Playboy Magazine. Riiiiight. Like I'd go ahead and stand naked for the world to see. Um… how about no thanks ?"

It was Mina's turn to face-palm. "Yep, I can totally see where Dan got his weird sense of humor. Wow, Dad is really digging at the very bottom of lameness for his jokes these days."

"It's enough that we'll be going around that beach in 2-piece bikinis, they'll get enough hints as to how we look without them." Ahsoka held on to her swimsuit.

Mina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've tried it on and looked at myself in the mirror. They leave very little to the imagination, Mom."

An hour and a half later, they arrived at Gulfport Beach. Still in the car, they took turns to change in the back seat. With them, they've brought beach towels, their T-shirts stating that they're not single. Last, but definitely not least, they brought along a small cooler filled with ice and water bottles.

Quickly installing themselves in an empty spot, it wasn't long until a group of men came to greet them. They were likely in their late '30s, early '40s, not looking too shabby.

"Woah ! Hello there, lovelies ! I bet it's your first time coming here, huh ?"

Ahsoka stretched herself on her towel, allowing the men to notice her well toned abdomen. "Yes, we're on vacation, all the way from New York City."

One of them, bearing a thick mustache, recognized her. "Hey, I know you ! You're that _alien_ that appeared on the Conan 'O Brien show years ago !"

Ahsoka's lekku stripes darkened momentarily. "I had a hunch that _someone_ would end up recognizing me from that appearance. Let's just say it wasn't my proudest moment, boys."

Another eyed Mina. "Your girl ? She's hella hot, too !"

Mina nodded, quickly reaching for their T-shirts. "That's right. She's my mom. By the way, I trust you guys can read what's on these shirts ?"

They looked at them. "Well duh ! It's no surprise that you're both taken, beautiful ladies that you are !"

Ahsoka reached for a pair of sunglasses. "So… what's the popular activity over here ?"

The mustached man pointed towards the ocean. "You can try your luck surfing, if that's your thing ! There's also a couple of volleyball courts."

Mina instantly beamed. "I haven't played volleyball in a while ! Are you guys up for a game with us ?"

"Sure ! Come on over to that court over there. We'll go get the ball."

Ahsoka, despite having never played volleyball before, quickly learned the rules and became a good player within the first hour. After a couple of hours, they took a break. It wasn't long until Mina wanted to try the other activity : Surfing.

She swam towards the rolling waves and quickly climbed on her surfing board, allowing herself to ride the waves. For about half an hour, she enjoyed herself until she heard the lifeguard's piercing whistle.

"Everybody out of the waters now ! A Great Hammerhead Shark has been spotted roaming around the edge of the beach ! Everybody out now !"

It swam around Mina, whom was stranded several meters off the edge of the beach. Working especially hard not to fall into panic, she calmly swam back to the beach, never letting her guard down. Once she stepped onto the warm sands of the beach, her heart kept racing.

Ahsoka ran to her trembling form. "Are you all right ?"

Mina struggled to regain her breath. "I can thank the Force it didn't find me appealing enough to eat ! That was a close shave if I ever saw one !"

They spent the remainder of their afternoon well out of the waters.

Men couldn't help themselves from staring at the two. Their lekku and montrals definitely made them stand out. At one point, a man placed his beach towel a bit too close for comfort. Mina cleared her throat. "Do you mind ? You're in my personal space ! Please move a few meters away ? Thank you."

Driving back to New Orleans, the two argued.

"You'll be able to say that you've been as close to a shark as anyone could… and you lived to tell the tale." Ahsoka was thankful that nothing happened.

"A bit more and I would've probably shat myself in fear. No really, I was _that_ close to panicking !"

"It's a good thing _that_ didn't happen, Mina. Can you imagine yourself running to the car for a change of swimsuit and then a trip to the bathroom to clean yourself up ? That would've been quite embarrassing." Ahsoka snickered.

Mina's lekku darkened to their greatest extent. "I couldn't ever return to a public beach if that happened. I guess that I inherited your self-control."

They entered the city limits and stopped at a Subway for a quick dinner. Once returning to their hotel, the two women were so exhausted that they quick fell asleep once they laid on their respective beds.

Over the next morning, the two woke for once without any hangovers, given they only drank water all day long.

Mina helped herself with an instant coffee as she woke up. Looking on the window sill, she noticed something. A cockroach crawling about. Suddenly, she felt quite mischievous. " _Time to get back at you for that air horn prank, Mom !_ "

She placed the insect on her mother's bed, looking intently as it crawled atop the covers. Once it set a foot on her lekku, Ahsoka woke up with a start, eyes wide in shock.

"Huh ?! Hey ! WHAT THE FUCK ?!" She swatted the cockroach off the bed, quickly looking for a shoe she could squash it with. "Where did this bug come from ?!"

Mina was on the floor, laughing so hard to the point of crying. "Oh, Mom ! You should've seen your face ! That was priceless ! To hear you swear, you must've been scared shitless ! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !"

Once she was sure the cockroach was dead, she turned to her daughter. "You little… ! So that's how you chose to get back at me for that air horn prank, huh ? Fair enough ! We're even now !"

"And so we are ! It was worth the wait ! Best prank opportunity ever !" Mina had never laughed so hard in so long.

 **So Mina finally got her chance to prank her mother. Apparently, Cajun speech is a combination of English and French in the same sentence, which amused me a great deal. Keep a lookout on May the 4** **th** **. Surprise(s) coming up. Next chapter, the girls visit an alligator farm, ride a steamboat and attend a Jazz performance. Please review.**


	9. Alligators, Steamboats and Smooth Jazz

**Friday, May 24th**

Following the cockroach prank, both ladies showered and clothed themselves accordingly. They wore short jeans and crop tops. They were both careful not to choose anything too revealing this time around. Men had gotten their money's worth when they spent the previous day at the beach in their bikinis. It was announced that it would be a hot and humid day.

As Ahsoka finished her instant coffee, she looked over the pamphlets for hints on what where they could go to spend the day. "If I remember correctly, you wanted to take a ride on a steamboat, visit an alligator farm and you wanted to attend a Jazz performance… Let's see here… There's a steamboat we could ride on our way back when we stop at Natchez, Mississippi. Maybe, just maybe we'd be fortunate enough to have a Jazz band on board with us ! For an alligator farm in the fair vicinity, there is one called Kliebert's, in Hammond, a couple of hours North of New Orleans. We could check it out. What do you think, Mina ?"

"As long as I can see at least one alligator, I'll be happy, Mom. And while we tour around Louisiana some more, I say we step out of our "comfort zone", food-wise, and that we try authentic Cajun cuisine ! This is probably our last day before we begin to head back home, and we would be missing out if we didn't bother to try their local delicacies. I hear that Gumbo, a type of soup with assorted meats and spices, is actually really good !"

The mention of meat got her mother's attention. "Well then, we'll look for it wherever we go, ok ? Let's pack our things. It's time to return our key to the receptionist."

Several minutes later, all the luggage was placed in the trunk. Mina took the passenger seat this time around. Ahsoka referred to her road map in order to reach the Alligator Farm as quickly as possible.

Around 10:45 am, they arrived at their first destination. It was right besides a large piece of swampland. Stepping out, they were soon greeted by the owners. "Good morning, visitors ! Welcome to Kliebert's Turtle and Alligator Farm ! I'm Mike Kliebert, owner and operator of this amazing establishment. Before heading out on a tour, why not try a serving of Gumbo with bits of alligator meat ?"

Mina had definitely inherited her father's adventurous nature concerning food. "Sure, I'm game !"

Ahsoka hesitated. "Hmm… Oh, what the hey ! I'll give it a try as well."

Mike brought them over to a picnic table by the edge of the swamp. "Just a minute, ladies. I trust you'll be pleasantly surprised."

A moment later, he arrived with two bowls of the Cajun delicacy. "Here we are ! Boiled Crawfish and Alligator Sausage Gumbo ! Enjoy !"

Ahsoka sniffed the broth. "Ooh ! Lots of spices in here !" She sifted through the chopped up vegetables and rice and grabbed herself a piece of alligator sausage. She slurped the broth and chewed the tough meat. After the initial bite, she ventured for more. "Wow ! This is amazing ! I never thought alligator would be so delicious !"

Mina took a huge spoonful filled with both kinds of meat, plenty of veggies and rice. She took her sweet time to savor every single ingredient. "It's too bad that you can't take the veggies, Mom. They complement the meats and rice quite nicely ! And that broth is blowing my mind away ! Definitely something we could try at home… provided we can acquire alligator meat in the big city."

About 10 minutes later, they had eaten their fill. Ahsoka had made sure she had caught every single piece of meat and left the vegetables and rice uneaten. Mina had emptied the bowl entirely, even drinking the remaining broth.

Mike returned to bring their bowls back inside. Minutes later, he came out with a bucket full of raw chicken. "Today's feeding day ! So, I'll show you how I feed all the gators in the farm. Come along !"

They walked a trail and came up to an isolated pool. "Here's Gumbo, our Nile Crocodile ! Hey Gumbo ! Come and get your din-din !" He waved a chicken leg above the surface of the pool. It wasn't long until the African Crocodilian rushed out of the waters, mouth agape and hissing.

Gumbo snatched the chicken leg, swallowing it in one bite. Mina backed away nervously. " _No doubt, he'd make a meal out of me or Mom !_ "

They continued onto the trail and came upon an enormous alligator. Even Mike was cautious. "This fella here is aptly named Crush. He measures 15 feet and weighs at least 1200 lbs ! He's one of our more impressive animals." He tossed a couple of headless chickens, which the massive gator took immediately.

As they went over the remainder of the trail, Mike explained the history of the farm. "We established in 1957. Some of the alligators you see here were hatched on that very year ! They have a life expectancy of close to 80 years. We make our best effort to ensure that every animal is cared for in a responsible manner."

They arrived to another isolated section. "Over here is Marie, our 15-foot-long Burmese Python." He waved a headless chicken with a long-reaching pincer. The snake quickly pounced on the meal, constricting it as it were alive and struggling.

Ahsoka titled towards her daughter. "Somehow, I would expect Kayla to have one of these by now. I haven't spoken to her in a while, but according to her Facebook account, she has been gathering much larger animals than Hershey."

An hour later, both women had their fill of the swamplands and alligators. After dealing payment and tipping Mike generously for having offered them servings of his personal Gumbo, they finally headed back East and would travel to Natchez at the border of the State of Mississippi.

Driving on the highway, Mina was looking over the CDs they brought for the trip. "Do you mind if I pick an album at random ?"

"Not at all, Mina. Remember not to pick anything that would cause me to break the speed limit, huh ?"

Mina's choice caused her to giggle. "Ha ha ha ! Well… All I can say is… Good Luck !"

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "What do you mean by that, Mina ? What did you pick ?"

"Deep Purple's "Machine Head"." She pressed play and the beginning notes of Highway Star began to play.

Ahsoka cursed herself. "Of all the songs you could pick, Mina, it _had_ to be Highway Star, huh ?"

Mina sorted a laugh. "Well… do your best to not follow the _speed_ of the song."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Hardy har har !" She checked her speedometer and looked for a sign with the speed limit. "75 mph ? Ok, we'll maintain that limit."

By 4:50 PM, they crossed the bridge that allowed them to enter Mississippi and stop at Natchez for the night. Mina had noticed a large steamboat cruising over the extensive Mississippi River. " _Hopefully we can catch a quick ride before it's too late !_ "

They stopped to check in at a small motel, not far from the riverbank. Once they left their luggage in their rooms, they hurried to the docks. A small steamboat, the SS Natchez, was docked and people were gathering to board it. Ahsoka and Mina were the last two to actually board the ship.

The whistle blew as the steamboat began to move out into the middle of the river. Given it was around 6:00 PM, the restaurant was open to all. The two women quickly claimed a table of their own.

It wasn't long until a waiter walked over to them, notepad in hand. "Good evening, ladies. Welcome aboard the SS Natchez. My name is Franklin and I'll be your waiter for this evening. Tonight, we have a regional delicacy that some have gone far enough to say "You have to try _this_ before you die !". Of course, I'm talking about Fried Catfish. There is really _nothing_ else like it ! Forget Haddock, Salmon or even Trout, none of them will compare. Our homemade fries and tartar sauce are included.

To pair with your Catfish, I would suggest a crisp Sauvignon Blanc such as Kim Crawford from New Zealand or you could try a typical Pale Ale such as Liquid Courage, which is brewed in Gulfport. Whichever you choose, you won't be disappointed."

A new beer to taste got Ahsoka's full attention. "It's too bad my husband didn't come along. He would have loved to try that beer and the new dish. We'll take the beer, sir."

Franklin wrote details on his notepad. "On Tap or a Bottle each with a branded glass ?"

Mina didn't waste time answering. "We'll go with the second option. I always enjoy checking out details on the back of the bottle."

"Very well. The beer will be served shortly. The catfish should be ready in around 15 minutes." The waiter made a beeline to the bar, taking out two beer bottles and placing branded glasses on a plate. He soon returned, placing the empty glasses in front of both, opened the bottles and poured about half of the content, allowing the head to form at the top of the glass. "Here we are ! Liquid Courage Pale Ale, courtesy of the Mississippi Brewing Company. Enjoy !"

As he left them, Ahsoka sniffed the brew. "Hmm… Oh ! There's a faint presence of hops in here ! So it could be slightly bitter." She took a quick sip. "Woah ! This reminds me of an IPA. There's a slight hint of pine and citrus in there."

Mina looked over the details at the back of the bottle. "Yeah, I can see how it relates to an IPA, Mom. The ABV is 7.5% !"

Ahsoka did a double-take. "7.5% ABV ?! Really ?! I would never have guessed. Well… we'll hold on to the drink until the food arrives. I don't mind Fish & Chips, but Catfish is a new experience for me."

"We'll soon see if it's as good as some boast." Mina took several tiny sips, just to moisten her throat.

Sure enough, the meal was brought over to them. They quickly dug in. Mina, being the food critic in Lux's place, gave her quick opinion. "It's not like Salmon, Trout or even Haddock… It's an entirely different taste… and I like it !"

"It's true that dipping it in the tartar sauce brings in new flavors. Ok, I'm convinced ! This was certainly worth trying out !" Ahsoka tried her hardest to not gobble down the food too quickly.

As they ended their food, there was still half of their beer remaining. They just relaxed as a Jazz band played in the middle of the restaurant. It was fully instrumental, with a Saxophone, a Piano, a Drum and an Acoustic Bass. The music was smooth and pleasant. It went hand in hand with the dining experience.

Mina hugged her mother. "Well… you've managed to check off everything I wanted to do on this trip. Thanks again. I don't think I've enjoyed myself as much with just you as I am now."

Ahsoka returned the hug. "You're welcome ! Besides, I needed a vacation from all the stress back at home. This is a well-deserved break." They helped themselves with another beer as they enjoyed the smooth jazz performed by the band.

Tomorrow, they would be heading back to New York City, back to their usual daily lives.

 **Ahsoka and Mina tried several new dishes and have gained a new appreciation for each other. The next chapter will be the final one, with their return back home. Feel free to leave a review.**


	10. Home, Sweet Home

**Saturday, May 25th**

Mina was still sound asleep when the oddest sound woke her.

"What was that ? A duck ?"

Ahsoka rose from her bedsheets, her lekku darkening momentarily. "Uh… no… That was me… tootin' away !"

Mina couldn't help but chuckle. "Tootin', huh ? Heh ! Guess those beers we had last evening give you gas !"

"You say that like _you_ don't get gas after a few drinks as well !"

Mina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But I do try to keep it in until I reach the bathroom. Unlike you."

Ahsoka scoffed. "Haven't you heard ? If you keep your farts in, that's when you get _shitty_ ideas !"

Mina shook her head. "Mom, you're unbelievable at times ! So… What's the plan for today ?"

Ahsoka hopped out of bed, quickly gathering her clothes for the day. "We'll move out of Mississippi, we'll do our best to cross over Tennessee if we can help it. If we're fast enough, maybe, just maybe, we could be home on Sunday by dinner."

After both women took their shower, they quickly gathered their luggage and made a beeline for the car. Mina insisted on driving this leg of the journey back. On their way towards Tennessee, they heard their fill of country music.

In the evening, they had crossed the State of Tennessee and arrived in the State of Maryland and spent a night in Annapolis for a change. Both were tired from their travels, so neither partook in alcohol and went straight to bed once they found a cheap motel to spend the night at.

 **Sunday, May 26** **th**

After their initial wakeup routine, both women were quick to check at their road map to gauge their progress. Once Ahsoka started the car, her cellphone began to ring.

"Mina, do you want to take the call, please ?"

Several rings later, Mina answered. "Hello ?"

"Mina ? Hey, sweetheart ! How are you ? Have you enjoyed your trip with your mother ?"

Mina quickly got comfortable in her seat while chatting. "Hey, Dad ! Yep, my time with Mom was great ! I had a lot of things I wanted to do… We did end up doing everything I hoped for ! Once we arrived in Louisiana, we visited the French Quarter in New Orleans. I got to practice my French a bit. We tried Cajun cuisine, we visited an Alligator Farm… and we also rode an actual Steamboat ! The SS Natchez, I think it was called !"

Lux couldn't hide his happiness in his voice. "Mina, I'm glad you managed to do all of those things ! Where are you now ?"

Mina checked the road map. "We've just exited Annapolis. We expect to be back home hopefully around dinner time."

"Well then… Dan & I were planning on having some steaks on the barbecue ! Should I add another for you and your mother ?" Lux asked.

Mina's hunger got the better of her. "Yes, yes, YES ! Please, Dad ! I'm sure Mom will appreciate a steak when we get home ! And if either you and Dan have some time to spare… can you make a run to the Liquor store and get a bottle of Louis Latour Pinot Noir ? I suddenly have a craving for that wine !"

Lux chuckled in response. "Ha ha ha ! Mina, we'll be more than happy to share this fine wine to commemorate your return back home ! Now that I think of it, we happen to have a couple of bottles of Louis Latour in my little wine cellar. So, no need to make a run to the Liquor store ! How about that huh ?"

"Dad ! You're awesome ! Expect us in about… 3 hours from now !"

Approximately 3 hours later, Mina and Ahsoka pulled up in the driveway. They instantly caught on to the smell of the barbecue running. An hour later, they had finished their steaks and were just sharing the 2nd bottle of wine.

Mina was ever happy. "Feels great to be back home !"

Ahsoka hugged her daughter. "I'm happy to be back as well ! But more than anything, I'm happy to see that I've made Mina's last week a bit more pleasant !"

Mina returned the hug. "Thanks for everything, Mom ! I'll do my best to get a part-time job ASAP."

Over the next week, Mina got her old job back at Walmart. The new manager, Bob McClane, was glad to have her back. Sales went back up with her return. Life was back to normal.

 **Woo ! Another story completed. In a couple of weeks, the Game of Thrones crossover will be finished too ! Feel free to leave a review.**


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